Second Choice
by xTasteTheRaInBoWx
Summary: A confession from Spencer makes Emily's love life more complicated than she ever imagined. And with "A" looming over their shoulders, who knows what will happen?
1. Jealousy

**Alright, kids! I got a new Spemily for ya! This is a full length story, so get ready! This idea was given (very graciously, I might add) to me by FUNKYSHAY, who has been amazing in providing me with some great inspiration for some Spemily stuff! **

…

Chapter 1: Jealousy

Sweat trickled down the face of Spencer Hastings as she lined up for another shot with her field hockey stick. It was an unusually hot evening in late July, with the temperature in the high 90s. However, all Spencer cared about was taking her anger out on something inanimate. After earlier that day, she _really_ needed it. She gave a grunt as she swang fast and hard, hitting the next ball in line into the goal. As she brought her stick up in another back swing, she failed to notice the person walking up behind her and it resulted in her stick hitting flesh.

"Ow! Spencer!" A wincing Emily hunched over a bit, holding her shoulder in pain.

"Oh my god! Emily! I am _so_ sorry! I had no idea, are you okay!" Spencer went into panic mode, for fear of seriously injuring her tan skinned friend. She rushed over and put her hand on Emily's back.

Emily glared up at Spencer, "What are you practicing for? Field hockey or war? Jesus Spence…that was _some_ back swing!" Emily rubbed her shoulder and rolled it in circles, trying to shake the new ache that resided there.

"It's…sort of a long story. Look, come on inside with me and we'll get some ice for that. I'm sorry again, Em. I was just so…focused," Spencer apologized again, setting her stick down and leading Emily towards the back door of her home.

Spencer grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and wrapped it in a towel before handing it to Emily, who took a seat on the couch. Spencer grabbed a bottle of water before joining her. Sweat trickled down Spencer's pale skin, and Emily watched as Spencer dabbed herself dry with a hand towel.

"Care to explain why you were turning field hockey balls into cannon balls?" Emily asked, her eyebrows raised.

Spencer sighed and licked her lips in preparation to explain, "Well, today, Toby decided it might be best if the two of us took some _time off_." Spencer's scratchy voice was filled with bitterness, and Emily's eye's widened.

"He broke up with you?"

"Yeah…apparently he hates the whole long distance thing. He's staying here while I'm going up to Brown. Which, by the way, is _not_ that far away," Spencer shook her head and wiped her brow as she sipped her water. "Anyway, after I left his place I came back here…and well, I've been out there since," Spencer shook her head, trying to rid herself of the sadness that was building up.

"Spence…" Emily began.

"And how could he do that, anyway? He was the first to say 'I love you,' he basically started this relationship…and now he just doesn't want to deal with a little distance? God…and I gave up my virginity to him and," Spencer paused for a moment, tears pricking at her brown eyes. Emily remained silent, but moved over next to Spencer and rubbed her arm. "And I just thought that maybe he was the guy who wasn't going to leave me, you know?" Spencer was crying now. Although she was embarrassed that she actually allowed herself to cry over a guy, let alone in front of her best friend.

"Maybe a guy isn't what you need right now," Emily suggested, tucking a strand of her long, ebony hair behind her ear and catching Spencer's eyes.

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked, furrowing her brow.

Emily smiled and wiped Spencer's tears away with her soft thumbs. For a moment, Emily looked straight into Spencer's wet eyes and pursed her lips, the corners of her mouth curved upward in their usual smirk. "I just mean, maybe you just need to play the field, you know?" Emily smiled at Spencer, still holding her face in her hands.

"Thanks, Em. But I gotta ask, why did you come over in the first place?" Spencer asked, switching gears. Emily picked up the ice pack and played with it for a moment.

"Well, I need some outfit advice. I have a date in two hours and I just want to look good. I really like Samara, and we're going to the pond in the park to watch the firework show that's going on for that end of summer thing," Emily explained. Spencer nodded, feeling an unexpected pang of _jealousy_. Why did she feel jealous? Was it Emily's more successful love life? Or was it…Samara?

"Oh, yeah, I forgot, you're sort of seeing her, right?" Spencer asked nonchalantly.

"Well, it's nothing official, and we haven't even kissed or anything. But I just want to impress her and everything," Emily rambled nervously, playing with her soft hair. Spencer frowned in her mind. For some reason, she was upset that Emily would go to so much trouble for a girl she didn't know that well instead of for someone she was closer to. Someone like Spencer.

Shaking the thought from her mind, Spencer grinned and grabbed Emily's hand, dragging her towards her room. "I have the perfect idea." And with that, the duo dissappeared upstairs where Spencer went to work.

…

"Can I see how I look _now_?" Emily asked anxiously as she sat on the stool in front of Spencer's vanity, her back to the mirror. Spencer grinned as she applied the final touches, and gave a satisfied smile.

"There. _Now_ you can look," Spencer backed up and sat on the bed as Emily turned around to look at her appearance in Spencer's mirror.

"Oh, _wow_!" Emily said in a low whisper as she looked at herself, amazed at Spencer's handy work. Emily wore an aqua blue, speghetti strap, cotton mini dress with white 4 inch wedges. Her jewlery was all white, and her hair was in it's natural waves, with it going over her left shoulder as usual. Her eye makeup was smokey, and made her dark eyes shine. She was amazed at how good Spencer was at this sort of thing.

Emily turned to look at Spencer and gave her a greatful smile.

"Thank you, I love it. The dress is perfect!" Emily looked down at the short summer dress and grinned.

"I thought it'd look better on you. You've got the skin for it," Spencer nodded warmly, loving the glimmer in Emily's eyes.

"Well, your makeup work helped…" Emily said modestly.

Spencer shook her head and stood up, "You look so beautiful, Em. But I had nothing to do with that. You would look gorgeous in a paper bag. I know Samara will be _more_ than impressed tonight," Spencer said reassuringly. Emily checked the time on her phone.

"Shit. I'm supposed to meet her in fifteen minutes. I better get going." Emily looked at Spencer with dismay. Spencer nodded and walked with Emily downstairs.

"Okay, well, have a blast, Emily!" Spencer hugged her best friend and looked at her admiringly, "I know you will."

"I will just because you told me to!" Emily joked, reaching for the door, "Bye, Spence!" And before Spencer could reply, Emily was gone.

"Goodbye, Emily. And good luck…"

Just then, Spencer got an idea, but she hated it. She was contemplating eavesdropping in on Emily's date. But then she thought, what would Emily do? Emily wouldn't spy on her best friend unless it was really important. Spencer chewed her bottom lip as she tried to process what she was about to do. Hell, she didn't even know why she was going. Some impulsive instinct just told her to go to the park pond and see how things go. So, regretably, Spencer grabbed her keys and headed towards the park as well.

…

When she got there, she parked a couple blocks down and walked towards the pond in the late evening light. She kept an eye out for any signs of Samara or Emily. Spencer made her way around the pond, spotting many couples and groups of friends sitting on blankets or benches or even lawn chairs waiting for the firework show. Spencer finally caught glimpse of Emily and Samara sitting on the edge of one of the docks, their shoes behind them and their toes in the water. They were sitting close and Spencer felt that surge of jealousy again. She moved to lean against the trunk of a willow tree where she had a sight line of the duo's faces. She watched carefully as they laughed and talked, and Spencer was beginning to feel worse and worse about following her.

Every once and a while, Samara would reach over and touch Emily's face or play with her hair, and every time Spencer would feel a burning in her gut. An angry burn. But what was she supposed to do? Emily couldn't possibly have _feelings_ for Spencer. They were best friends, and that was it.

As soon as the clock hit nine and the sun was fully down, the fireworks show began, but Spencer kept her eyes focused on Emily and Samara. Samara leaned over and whispered something to Emily that caused Emily to stop laughing and look at Samara in the eyes. Samara grinned and then the worst came. Samara cupped the back of Emily's neck and kissed her slowly. Spencer looked away in anger, unable to supress her protective and jealous feelings.

Then she realized it.

She realized that she cared for Emily. Spencer cared for Emily more than was good for either of them.

…

**So tell me what you think, Kids! I'm excited to hear reactions to this love triangle stuff! :) Hopefully I get enough reviews to update TOMORROW! **


	2. Honesty

**I'm giving an update for the lovely FUNKYSHAY, who's idea made this story possible. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 2: Honesty

Spencer's heart hurt. Seeing Emily kiss Samara had brought her feelings to light. As the fireworks went off in the park, Spencer's phone buzzed and she jumped at the sudden vibration coming from the device in her hand. She looked at the screen and her eyes widened.

_Poor Spencer, looks like you're just second best. How does it feel to finally lose? –A_

Spencer felt anger course through her body and she closed the message. She had to get home and figure things out.

She made it back to her car and headed back to her house, feeling stupid for even going to spy on Emily in the first place. She contemplated whether or not she should tell Emily how she feels before it gets too complicated. Spencer had a hard time processing everything going through her mind. Having feelings for Emily was the last thing Spencer thought it would come to. When Emily first introduced Samara, Spencer was genuinely happy that Emily found such a cool girl, but each time she saw them together after that made Spencer's gut turn.

She decided to take a shower and do some reading to get her mind off things. After staying in the shower for a good forty five minutes, she stepped out of the stall and frowned when she saw Emily's clothes she had left from earlier. She sighed and tried to ignore them as she brushed her hair and got ready for bed.

But once again, her curiosity got the best of her and she bent down to pick up Emily's soft, off the shoulder T-Shirt. It was black and had thin white stripes on it. Spencer could smell Emily's perfume and she got a sudden wave of goosebumps. Realizing how pathetic it actually was, the way she was acting, she replaced the shirt on the pile of clothes and turned back to the mirror.

Spencer finished in the bathroom and dressed in her PJ's before curling up on the couch with a copy of Candice Millard's _The River of Doubt_, a book about Theodore Roosevelt's journey down the Amazon River. She enjoyed a good historical read, and just as she was about to get started, there was a knock on the door. She furrowed her brow and got up, only to see Emily standing at her door.

"Emily, you're back," Spencer raised her brows as Emily nodded, seeming excited about something. Spencer opened the door for Emily to enter and they moved to sit at the island in the kitchen. "How'd the date go?" Spencer asked with false curiosity.

Although, Spencer's heart lightened when she saw the look on Emily's face, "It was super romantic! We kissed when the fireworks went off and everything. She loved the outfit, too. I just came by to return the dress and stuff and get my clothes back."

"Oh, right," Spencer said, trying to act like she'd forgotten all about Emily's clothes that were still up in the bathroom. "You can go up and change. Your clothes are still in the bathroom."

"Thanks," Emily smiled before walking up the stairs to Spencer's room.

As soon as she was up the stairs, Spencer put her face in her hands and groaned. How was she ever going to tell Emily how she really felt?

"Spence! Can you come help me? I can't reach the zipper!" Emily called from the top of the stairs.

"Of _course_," Spencer said under her breath, almost laughing at the irony of the situation, "Yeah, I'll be right up!" Spencer reluctantly got up and trotted up the stairs and into her room where Emily stood, her long black hair pulled over one shoulder to allow Spencer access to the zipper.

"Thanks again for letting me wear this dress, Spence, it's amazing," Emily said as Spencer walked up behind Emily and reached for the tiny zipper at the top of the dress.

"Well," Spencer began pulling the zipper down slowly, "someone had to make it look hot."

Emily laughed at Spencer's dry joke and Spencer bit her bottom lip as more and more of Emily's back became exposed. Spencer eyed the material of Emily's bra, noticing it was a soft shade of pink with darker pink flowers on it. The zipper stopped just under the small of Emily's back and Spencer couldn't help but imagine how soft the skin was there.

"Thanks," Emily said again, turning to face Spencer with a smile.

"You know what, why don't you just, keep the dress, you look crazy beautiful in it. And it's not really my style any more," Spencer shrugged with a half smile.

"Really? Wow, thanks, Spence!" Emily hugged Spencer and pulled back, grinning now, looking into Spencer's eyes. "What?" Spencer asked.

"You're awesome, that's what. I don't know what I'd do without you. You always take care of me, Spence," Emily said with a shrug as she stepped back and pulled the dress off, leaving her in her underwear before Spencer.

"Of course. I just want you to be happy, you deserve it, of all people," Spencer said, glancing down as Samara came into her mind. Emily noticed Spencer's momentary change in mood and narrowed her eyes at her.

"Spencer, is something bothering you?" Emily asked, taking off the jewlery Spencer had loaned her. Spencer fought not to blurt out what was really bothering her. It took all of her willpower to not tell Emily that Samara was bothering her.

"Um, I've just been thinking a lot about Toby, that's all," Spencer lied.

"I get it. Breakups are always a bit of a buzz kill." Emily went into the bathroom to grab her jeans and shirt. She dressed as Spencer sat silently on her bed. Emily finished changing and joined Spencer, sitting next to her with her legs crossed.

"Spence, I know you too well," Emily said knowingly, catching Spencer's eyes, "What's really bothering you? I know Toby has some part in it, but…there's something else, I can tell. You're really quiet."

Spencer pursed her lips, her mind telling her to lie, but her conscience telling her to be honest with her best friend. Spencer finally looked at Emily and slowly shook her head.

"Emily, I just…" Spencer's breath caught, and she realized how hard it was going to be, telling Emily the truth.

"You can tell me, Spencer." Emily seemed completely open to whatever Spencer had to say. But Spencer knew that if she told Emily, their whole relationship would change.

"I just can't stand the idea of you with Samara, okay?" Spencer said quickly and looking away, nervous to see Emily's reaction. Emily furrowed her brows and tried to look at Spencer's face.

"What? Why? Did she do something to upset you?" Emily asked, confused.

Spencer looked at her hands and shook her head, still silent.

"Then what is it? Why don't you like her?" Emily asked, growing agitated. Spencer looked at Emily, tears welling in her eyes. Then Spencer acted on impulse. She took Emily's face in her hands and kissed her. It wasn't passionate or deep. It was a chaste, all-telling kiss. Emily's eyes burned as Spencer pulled back and closed her eyes as a couple tears fell from them.

"That's why." Spencer's voice cracked with the two words and Emily sat still, her brow still furrowed and her mouth open, trying to find words to say.

Finally, with a sigh, Emily spoke in a low voice, "Spencer, that's…that's unfair of you to say that. I come over from one of the best dates I've had in a _long_ time, and you tell me you have feelings for me…I couldn't wait around for you any more, Spencer. Now, I'm with Samara…" Emily trailed off, clenching her jaw, not sure how to feel.

"So you have feelings for me too?" Spencer asked with all seriousness.

Emily looked at Spencer with a pained expression, "I just, can't do that to Samara. I have to give whatever is starting with her a chance. She's a great person." Emily tried to sound logical. She hated hurting peoples feelings, but she knew there was no way everyone was going to end up happy in this. Spencer swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded.

"Well then, I guess that's fine. She makes you happy, so I'll just leave you alone. Um…I hope you enjoy having that dress." Spencer got up hastily and walked towards the bedroom door, avoiding all eye contact with Emily as the tan girl gathered all her things, including the dress, and met Spencer at the door.

"Spencer…I just—"

"I think it'd be best if you just went. I understand, okay. Just drop it." Spencer fought tears as Emily stood for a moment, waiting to see if Spencer really meant it.

Finally, Spencer looked at Emily, rubbing her lips together to fight a sob. Then, with a sigh and a nod, Emily left without another word.

Spencer let out a sob she had been holding in and slid to the floor against her closed door. She had broken.

…

"Mom, can I drive up to Brown for the weekend? I want to look around campus, and they're having a visitation day for incoming freshmen." Spencer was sitting on the couch as her mom made breakfast in the kitchen. Veronica contemplated the idea and nodded.

"I suppose that would be okay. But don't you want me or your father to go along? We'd love to see the campus as well," Veronica offered.

"Well, they have a day for parents to come with their students, too, but that's not for another two weeks. If it's okay, I'd really just like to go on my own. Besides, I need to get a feel for being on my own, anyway," Spencer tried to convince her mother to let her go alone. After the previous night with Emily, Spencer _needed_ to get out of Rosewood for a little while.

"Okay, need any money for food or a hotel?" Veronica asked.

"No, I have enough in my savings account. I'll be okay."

"So you're leaving tomorrow, I presume?"

"Yeah, and then Saturday I'll see the campus, and Sunday I'll go to the mixer they're having for incoming stundets," Spencer explained with a bland tone.

"Well, it sounds like you've got it all worked out. Where are you staying?"

"I was just going to get a room at the local Hilton. Three nights. Then home on Monday," Spencer nodded to herself as she spoke.

"Okay. Just be careful driving up there," Veronica said in a protective way, much like Spencer's protective habits.

"I know mom."

…

Spencer left as soon as she could on Friday. She drove the five hours from Rosewood to Providence, Rhode Island, home of Brown University. She was so happy to get away from it all. She had never gone off on her own just for her own good, and she had to admit, it felt pretty good. The first stop she made was at her hotel to check in, then she made her way over to the Brown campus and found the enrollment center. She needed to ask about where to meet the next day and also meet her student guide.

She approached the desk, where a middle aged woman with bright red hair smiled up at her.

"Hi, um, my name is Spencer Hastings, I'm enrolled for the fall semester here and I was wondering if I could get in touch with my student guide for tomorrow's campus tour?" Spencer asked in a business-like tone.

"Of course, she's actually here now, I think, making sure everything is ready. I think she's in one of our meeting rooms. Let me just go see." The woman got up and went down the hall and opened the second door, she emerged accompanied with a tall, slender girl with light brown curly hair. Her big brown eyes smiled warmly at Spencer and her full lips stretched into a smile.

"This is Spencer, she just had some questions about tomorrow for you." The woman left them to speak as she returned to her desk. Spencer felt the girl look up and down her figure before meeting her eyes.

"Hi, I'm Emma, Emma Shepherd, nice to meet you!" She extended her hand and Spencer smiled brightly, taking the brunette's slender hand.

"Spencer Hastings." Spencer found herself blushing under Emma's stare. Her brown eyes had a warmness that Spencer found comforting.

For the first time in twenty four hours, Spencer wasn't thinking about Emily.

…

**Okay, kids, there you have it! Hope you're liking it! I'll update super soon if I get enough reviews!**


	3. Misery

**I just felt like doing an update because I love my readers more than smiles! (1 million imaginary bonus points for whoever guesses the reference I just made) Anyway, I'm a little restless, and so I'm saying what the Hell! The readers deserve it! So, without more delay, here you have it! Chapter 3!**

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Chapter 3: Misery

Emily wanted to talk to Spencer about what happened. She cared for Spencer more than any of her other friends, and she hated knowing that she hurt Spencer's feelings. Emily's mind had been clouded with thoughts of Spencer ever since their kiss, and now, she wasn't sure what to do. She decided to go over to Spencer's and try to talk things out.

She didn't see Spencer's car in the driveway, but she figured maybe it was in the garage. She knocked on the front door and was greeted by Veronica.

"Emily, what can I do for you?" Veronica asked, seeming a bit confused.

"Hi, Mrs. Hastings…is Spencer home?" Emily asked quietly.

"Didn't she tell you, she went up to Brown University for the weekend. She left this morning. I thought she would have told you, Hanna, and Aria," Veronica explained. Emily frowned and thought for a moment. Why did Spencer not tell any of them?

"Oh…Um, do you know when she'll be home?" Emily asked with a half smile.

"She's coming home on Monday," Veronica smiled.

"Thanks, Mrs. Hastings. See you later," Emily waved goodbye and turned to leave. As she was walking out to her car, her phone buzzed. Hoping it would be Spencer, Emily immediately looked at the text message. But to her dismay, it was from the last person she wanted to hear from.

_You scared her away! How's it feel? – A_

Emily didn't want to believe those words. She couldn't have made Spencer leave, could she? Spencer wasn't a runner, she was a fighter. But the question still remained: Why didn't Spencer tell any of the girls she was leaving for the weekend.

As she sorted through her thoughts and left the Hastings household, she could only wonder.

…

"Field hocky? Impressive!" Emma smiled as she sat across from Spencer in the campus coffee shop, a skinny vanilla latte in hand. Spencer shrugged and nodded.

"Yeah, I love competition," Spencer admitted, sipping her coconut mocha. Emma laughed a little and smiled over at Spencer.

"I like that. A competitive edge is good, and it shows that you can really control a situation. I bet you own your boyfriend!" Emma joked. Spencer looked down.

"My love life is way out of my control right now…" Spencer shook her head, thinking of Emily right now, and all of the unreplied texts she had on her phone from the brunette.

"Boy trouble?" Emma seemed to really be interested in helping Spencer get past whatever was troubling her. Her big brown eyes weren't judgemental or hard to read. Spencer could tell she was genuine.

"More than that…I uh, told my best friend I have feelings for them, and now it's too late, they're with someone else now." Spencer put her head down.

"What's his name?" Emma asked out of curiosity.

"_Her_ name is Emily, and I told her two days ago that I have feelings for her, and I was too late. She's seeing another girl, who is really nice, and Emily doesn't want to hurt her. So she's seeing where the relationship goes. We haven't really spoken since." Spencer explained with a hint of heartache in her tone. Emma smiled warmly, her full lips curving into a smirk.

"Is she the first girl you've liked?" Emma asked, seeming unphased by Spencer's admission.

"Yeah. I care about her so much. But I could never get the courage to tell her up until the other night," Spencer sipped her drink again and shook her head.

"Are you out yet?" Emma asked softly. Spencer just shook her head.

"I don't know if I can fully admit that. It's a scary thing," Spencer said as if she already knew.

"Coming out is scary, but it's the best thing you will ever do. It will free you from lying to yourself," Emma said, putting a hand on Spencer's shoulder.

"Wait, are you…?" Spencer cocked her head to the side a bit and trailed off.

"Yeah, I'm gay. And I'm not ashamed of that," Emma said simply. Spencer almost laughed at how _easy_ Emma made coming out sound.

"You know the saying, 'You never know what you have until it's gone'? I think that's what happened with Emily. She told me she couldn't wait around for me forever and that she wanted to see things through with Samara," Spencer explained, biting her bottom lip. Emma reached over and touched Spencer's forearm. Spencer looked over at Emma, who had a gentle smile on her face.

"Look, that doesn't mean things are over between you two. And I don't know her, but I'm sure she would be more than happy to know you're there for her, even if it's just as friends. Besides, if she's your best friend, she's bound to come around some time!" Emma was amazingly positive, and it made Spencer feel more at ease. It was nice to just talk with someone who didn't know about Alison and who didn't know about Spencer's past, and _especially_ someone who she was positive wasn't A.

"I just, feel stupid for even telling her how I felt. It was so unfair of me to do that to her right after she became official with Samara. I probably made her feel terrible," Spencer said angrily to herself.

"Don't beat yourself up, Spencer. You _did_ do the right thing. Being honest with someone you care about is one of the best things you can do, even if it may hurt. And _that's_ why Emily will come back to you. You were honest with her." Emma was looking Spencer in the eyes and somehow, Spencer was starting to believe her.

"I hope so…but look, can we just, talk about something else?" Spencer asked, trying to get Emily off her mind. "What about you? What's your family like?"

"Well, my mom is great! She's a bit of a…free spirit," Emma laughed, smiling big.

"Like you, right?" Spencer asked observantly.

Emma nodded and furrowed her brow, "Yeah, I guess she is like me. Or rather, I'm like her, I should say."

"And your dad?" Spencer sipped her coffee, leaning back in her seat a little.

Emily pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows, "Well, my dad is a bit more…up tight. He's very stern, and business oriented. He's not much of a man to have fun in his free time. He's more of the guy who works in his free time, if that makes any shred of sense!" Emma chuckled and shook her head.

"No, I totally get it. My dad is the same way. He couldn't care less what I do in my free time, as long as I'm going to an ivy league school at the end of the day and I can show him my trophies and awards," Spencer said with dismay. "Do you have any siblings?"

"Nope, only child. You?"

"I have an older sister. Her name is Melissa," Spencer said the name like it was venom.

Emma gave Spencer a look, "Are you close?"

At this, a sarcastic laugh escaped Spencer, "Not exactly…it's a _really_ long story."

"That's too bad, I'm sure, though, over time that you two will eventually be close some day." There Emma went, being positive and in a way, really _charming_. Spencer smiled and chuckled dryly.

"I don't know about that…but I can dream, right?"

Emma laughed too, "Right! You can dream."

…

"Emily, is something bothering you? These past couple of days…you've just seemed, different," Samara asked as they sat on Hanna's back porch that night. Emily didn't look at her girlfriend, who had a look of concern on her face.

"It's nothing. I'm fine," Emily plastered a fake smile on her face. Samara gave her a knowing look, and Emily sighed.

"Did I say something? Cause you can tell me, Em, I just want to know you're happy," Samara held Emily's hands in her own and Emily looked at the tall blonde, a wrinkle in her brow.

"No, don't worry, it's not you! I just…a lot has been going on lately," Emily said vaguely, her mind wandering to what Spencer was doing at that very moment. Was Spencer as sad as she was? Was she really at Brown because she scared Spencer off?

"I understand. But I want you to understand that you can talk to me. That's what I'm here for." Samara gave a gentle smile and brushed a strand of hair from Emily's face and Emily smiled back.

"Thanks for understanding. It's just complicated," Emily nodded. Samara licked her lips and caressed Emily's cheek.

"Don't worry about it," were Samara's last words before she captured Emily's lips in a kiss.

…

The next day, Emma spent all morning showing Spencer and a few other incoming students around the Brown campus. By lunch, Spencer and Emma had decided to go meet Emma's mom for lunch at the campus café.

The two of them walked in to the cozy eatery and Emma led Spencer towards a table that was occupied by a young looking blonde woman.

"Hey, Mom!" Emma greeted. The woman looked up from the menu and grinned. She was beautiful, and couldn't have been over forty. She stood up and hugged Emma tightly.

"Hi, honey! Who's your friend?" Mrs. Shepherd asked.

"Mom, this is Spencer, she's going to be a freshman next semester. Spencer, this is my mom, Laura," Emma said warmly.

Laura extended her hand and smiled, "Hello, Spencer! Emma said I really needed to meet you! Said you're a great girl!"

Spencer gave Emma a look before addressing Laura, "It's a pleasure, too, Mrs. Shepherd—"

"Oh, call me Laura, please!"

Spencer nodded as they sat down, "Well, I've heard so much about you! Emma say's you're awesome!"

"Well, thank you, I hope I don't dissapoint your expectations!"

Spencer laughed, "I don't think that'll be a problem."

Laura Shepherd was beautiful for a mother. She had shoulder length blonde hair, striking blue eyes, a rounder face, and a sweet smile. She dressed in a flattering pair of Miss Me jeans, and she wore a stylish black blazer over a lavender halter top. She looked very young.

"So, Spencer, what are you planning to study?"

"I really love design, but my dad thinks I should go for something more…promising," Spencer muttered the last part.

"You should do what makes you happy. I'm sure you'd be great at design!" Laura had the same glimmer in her spirit that Emma did, and Spencer found that the more she talked to them, the more Emily was off her mind.

…

"Well Spencer, I hate to say goodbye, but I have errands to run, and I'm sure you need to get out of here, it's been a pleasure meeting you!" Laura said as they stood outside the café an hour and a half later.

"You too! I hope to see you again soon!"

"Actually, we're having a mixer for the incoming freshmen tomorrow night at our place…you see, I'm the head of the Alumini association, and we'd love to have you, right Emma?" Laura offered excitedly.

"Yeah! It'll be tons of fun! You can be my date!" Emma grinned.

Spencer felt a twinge of discomfort at the term _date_, but she let the idea sink in and finally she nodded, "That would be awesome!"

"Great, well, I can pick you up around seven. You're staying at the Hilton, right?"

Spencer nodded, "Yeah, seven. My room number is 709."

"Well, we look forward to seeing you there, Spencer!" Laura said, pulling Spencer into a hug.

"Yeah, see you there!" Spencer hugged Emma as well before they parted ways. As Spencer walked back towards the parking lot, her phone buzzed. Thinking it was Emily, _hoping _it was Emily, she looked down at the screen. There was a picture of Samara and Emily kissing on Hanna's back porch. Underneath the picture, a message.

_Looks like she doesn't even care that you're gone. – A_

…

**Dun dun dun! I'm updating left and right! I'm pretty proud of myself for that! Tell me what you think, kids! xx**


	4. Debauchery

**Hey, Kids! Hope summer is treating everyone well, I know my summer has! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the update, it's gonna be a long one!**

…

Spencer lay on her hotel bed an hour and a half until she needed to go to the mixer, the TV playing the news quietly in the backround, but her thoughts were all too clouded to even pay attention. Her eyes glanced to her phone for the fifth time in a minute, the picture of Emily and Samara staring back at her.

Part of her wanted to call Emily and talk to her as if nothing were wrong. As if she weren't in love with everything about her. As if every time Emily smiled Spencer's heart didn't race, or as if every time Emily ran her hand through her long, silky waves Spencer didn't wish it was her hand. But the other part of her wanted to believe what A said. _Looks like she doesn't even care that you're gone._ The words stung and she couldn't bear the idea of them being possibly true.

Spencer sat up and slid her legs over the edge of the bed, she got up and went into the bathroom, her face expressionless as she turned on the shower and began removing her clothes, as if stripping herself of all her problems that were lingering around her like a heavy stone just waiting to crush her.

A chill washed over her pale skin once she was fully nude, she hurried to climb under the hot stream of water. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes as her hair became gradually damper until it was completely soaked. Then she ran her hands over her head, smoothing out her long tresses. She was reminded for a moment of Emily when she climbed out of the pool after winning a meet, and how her long, black hair had looked so sexy as she let it out of that swim cap.

Spencer switched thoughts and reached for her Dove bodywash she had brought along. She squeezed some onto her loofah and started to scrub. She relished the feeling of the suds running down her skin, taking her top layer of stress with them to the drain. She rinsed and proceeded to wash her hair before turning the water off and stepping out into the steam-filled bathroom.

Feeling refreshed, she dressed for the party, choosing a black and purple high waisted dress. The top half was loose and wavy and Spencer chose to accent it with some long, black chain necklaces. The bottom half hugged her body like a latex glove, the black material stopping mid thigh. She topped it off with some 4 inch strappy black wedges by Jimmy Choo. She wore her hair in soft spiral curls and she used mousse to give her hair a lift of volume at her roots. With one final application of gloss, she was finally satisfied with her appearance.

Her phone buzzed from the bed and she went over to check it.

_Emma: Sorry it's such short notice, but there are more people here than expected, I don't think I can pick you up. My address is 198 Glennwood Ct. See you there! xx_

Spencer pursed her lips and nodded, not bothered by the sudden cancellation. She googled the address and was soon on her way.

…

"Maybe we should call her Hanna…I mean it's been almost four days…" Emily said worredly to the blonde who sat across the bedroom the two of them shared.

"Emily, Spencer just needs space. It's gotta be hard for her, accepting that you're with Samara after kissing you and all," Hanna said without even looking up from painting her nails.

"Hanna," Emily gave her friend a look, "I'm just worried is all. That message from A has really been bugging me."

"Listen, A hasn't broken you and Spencer's friendship yet, don't let that bitch ruin it now!" Hanna said encouragingly.

Emily shook her head and bit her lip, "At the rate Spencer and I are going, it might be over before A gets the chance."

…

"Spencer! You look beautiful," Laura greeted her at the door with a hug "Come on in! The refreshments are in the kitchen, and everyone is all around the main floor. And I think Emma is in the living room!"

The house was crowded and Spencer worked her way through to the living room where she saw Emma, chatting up a bundle of incoming students. Emma made eye contact with Spencer and she smiled, inviting Spencer to come over. Spencer made her way over to Emma and greeted her with a hug.

"Hey," Emma said in Spencer's ear, "Glad you could make it." They pulled back and smiled at eachother.

"Me, too! This is really awesome!" Spencer said, looking around at the amount of people enjoying themselves.

"You look amazing, Spencer!" Emma said, looking at Spencer with a sexy glint in her brown eyes.

"Thank you! I wasn't sure if it was formal or what, so I just dressed up!" Spencer shrugged with a half smile.

"Are you thirsty at all, can I get you something to drink?" Emma offered.

"That'd be great! I'll just wait here," Spencer nodded.

"Okay, I'll be right back," Emma smiled before leaving towards the kitchen.

As Spencer waited in the living room, her phone buzzed in her purse. Sighing and furrowing her brow, she pulled her phone out and looked at the screen. Perfect. A text from Emily. The first word from her in four days.

_Emily: Can we talk?_

Spencer sighed, her heart aching again as she hesitantly typed her reply.

_You: Well, now's not really a good time. When I get back._

As she hit send, she realized she needed some space from everyone, so she walked out of the living room and towards a door she hoped would lead to an empty room. Instead, she got a staircase going to the basement. Deciding it was better than nothing, she headed down the stairs, just wanting some quiet. To her surprise and pleasure she found there was a fully stocked bar in the basement, complete with every liquor she could fathom.

"I did need that drink…" Spencer muttered to herself as she walked over to the bar and looked at the shelf, trying to decide on what to drink.

She settled on coconut rum and poured herself a shot, needing the buzz immediately. She downed it in a heartbeat, revelling in the warm feeling the drink caused, and decided that one wasn't going to do the trick.

She went on to pour five more.

Getting up the stairs wasn't an easy task, but after a couple of minutes of tripping over steps she made it up, a goofy grin on her face. She walked into the living room and tapped a random girl on the soulder.

"Have you seen…have you seen Emma? I was waiting for her!" Spencer said, her words tied together in a drunken slur. The girl stepped back a bit, smelling the liquor on Spencer's breath, and finally answered.

"She's uh, out on the patio." The girl pointed towards a sliding glass door that lead outside. Without thanking the girl, Spencer made her way to the door as quickly as her intoxicated body allowed, which wasn't very fast. She slipped out and saw Emma sitting alone on the patio swing.

"It's awefully quiet out here!" Spencer said loudly, laughing a little. Emma's head snapped over to the brunette, who then moved to sit next to her.

"Yeah…where did you go?" Emma asked, seeming a little upset.

"Just, just to the basement. I needed some quiet!" Spencer held her forefinger up in front of her lips and gave a soft _shhhhh_.

"Why's that?" Emma asked, realizing Spencer's state.

Spencer dramatically rolled her eyes, "Em…Emily texted me for the first time in _four_ days! Four!" Spencer held up her phone in a failing attempt to show Emma.

"So you got drunk in my basement? How much did you drink, Spencer?" Emma asked slowly.

"Just, six…" Spencer burst into laughter.

"Six what, Spencer?" Emma faught to keep Spencer's attention.

"Six shots!" Spencer said, putting her fist up in the air triumphantly. Emma chuckled a little and urged Spencer to relax.

"That would explain why you're acting like you're five…" Emma nodded to herself. Spencer turned towards Emma and gave her a sultry smirk.

"You know, I really like you, Emma," Spencer said dizzily, cupping Emma's face in her hands. Then Spencer's lips were on her's. Emma tasted the rum on Spencer's tongues as Spencer pulled her closer. But just as Emma thought about deepening the kiss, she decided to pull back.

"What?" Spencer asked, agrivated.

"Spencer," Emma looked Spencer in the eyes, "Was that kiss _really_ meant for me? Or for someone _else_?" Emma asked with her eyebrows raised. Spencer, although drunk, knew she was right. That kiss belonged to Emily. But Emily was taken.

Spencer slowly shook her head and her eyes fluttered. "No, Emily and I…we can't. It just won't work…" Spencer stuttered. Emma's full lips stretched into a soft smile.

"You need to sleep this off," Emma helped Spencer stand and she began walking Spencer inside, "Give me your keys, you are _not_ driving."

"Where are we going?" Spencer asked.

"I'm taking you back to your hotel, you're a mess!" Emma said, carefully helping Spencer walk to the front door.

Spencer pulled back and pouted, "but I just got here!"

Emma giggled and grabbed Spencer's hand, "And now, you're leaving!"

…

"Okay, easy now!" Emma said as she helped Spencer into the hotel room and onto the bed. Spencer layed back, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Emma grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge and poured some into a glass. Then she retrieved two asprin from her bag and turned to give them to Spencer. But to her surprise, Spencer was already fast asleep.

Emma smiled adoringly at Spencer and set the items on the bedside table before gently removing Spencer's shoes and jewlery. She pulled the covers up over Spencer's slight figure and leaned down, gently kissing the brunette on the forehead. Deciding not to go back to the party, Emma climbed into bed next to Spencer and willed herself asleep.

…

"So what's up with you and Spencer?" Samara asked innocently as she and Emily sat in their favorite coffee shop Monday afternoon.

Emily shook her head, "I don't know, it's complicated."

Samara reached out to touch Emily's soft hand, "Em, you know whatever it is, you can tell me."

Emily looked up at Samara, a sad look in her eyes, like a puppy, "The night you and I became official, I went over to Spencer's to return the dress she let me borrow and well, she told me she had feelings for me. But I told her I wanted to give what you and I have a chance. She then told me to leave and we haven't spoken since," Emily explained with a heavy tone in her voice.

Samara looked at Emily, a very intense stare in her eyes, and she tried to read what Emily was feeling. "Do you feel the same towards her?" Samara just came out and asked.

Emily's brown eyes snapped to the blonde's blue ones, "What?" Emily tried to hide from answering, for fear of hurting Samara's feelings.

"I just want to know…don't worry, Em," Samara looked at her reassuringly.

Emily rubbed her lips together and furrowed her brow, knowing the answer.

"Yes."

And for some reason, Samara smiled lightly at her, "I can tell. Spencer adores you, Emily."

"But I'm with you. I really, really like you, Samara." Emily grabbed both of Samara's hands and smiled at her.

Samara nodded, "Me too. But maybe you should talk to Spencer and at least get your friendship back. I bet that would mean a lot to her."

"Maybe I should."

Just then, Emily's phone buzzed and she looked down to where it sat on the table.

"Shit," Emily muttered under her breath.

"What? What is it?" Samara asked, seeing the panic in Emily's face.

"I um, I have to go right now. I'll call you and explain later, but it's an emergency!" Emily was already getting up and walking quickly for the door. Samara stood up, confused and opened her mouth to speak, but Emily was already out the door.

…

**Oh boy, kids! Something's going down! Reviews help updates :) Hope you're all enjoying the story! And don't worry, Spemily is coming!**


	5. Lonely

**Hey kids! Before I get this next update going… the spark of this story, FUNKYSHAY, had a message for you guys:**

***Hey everyone - FunkyShay here! Just wanted to say that I am delighted to be the brain behind this story with xTasteTheRaInBoWx :) So just so you know, Emma and Laura Shepherd is portrayed by Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Katherine Heigl, so now it´s easier for you to picture Emma and Laura.**

**Thank you so much for reading this story.**

**Have a great summer and have fun!***

**Like FUNKYSHAY said, enjoy the story! :)**

…

Emily drove fast, worry etched into her face and her pulse racing. She had to make it to the hospital. The traffic that afternoon wasn't helping at all, so while waiting, she called Aria.

"_Hey, what's up?"_ Aria answered.

"It's Spencer, she was in a car crash on the way back to Rosewood. I got a text from her phone, some girl named Emma…She said she's okay but Spencer isn't!" Emily explained in a breath.

"_Oh my god. Okay, um, I'll head over as fast as I can!" _Aria said, panic in her voice as well.

"Okay, I'll call Hanna." Emily hung up and dialed Hanna's number. It rang for a long time and Emily drummed her knee impatiently.

"_Hello?"_

"Hanna…Spencer was in a car crash on the way back from Brown. I got a text from her phone from a girl named Emma. She told me she's okay but Spencer isn't and that they were being taken to the hospital. We have to get over there!" Emily said, honking at the car in front of her to speed up.

She heard Hanna sigh on the other end, _"Why is it always us? I'll hurry over, see you there."_

"Yeah." Emily hung up and tossed her phone into the passenger seat.

…

"Where is she?" Veronica Hastings was impatiently asking a nurse when Emily arrived. She saw Aria and hurried over, embracing her friend.

"Where's Hanna?" Aria asked.

"On her way," Emily was interrupted by the nurse speaking to Mrs. Hastings.

"Ma'am, she's in our ER right now. You'll be able to see her as soon as she's been given proper medical attention, your daughter will be just fine," The nurse said comfortingly to the worried mother, who accepted the news and moved to sit next to Peter and Melissa. Aria turned to look at Emily and pursed her lips.

"Who is this Emma girl?" Aria asked, her brow furrowed.

Emily shrugged and shook her head, "No clue. But apparently she was in the car with Spence."

"So she's probably here too, I presume? Let's find out," Aria raised her eyebrows and before Emily could protest, Aria was moving over to the desk.

"Excuse me," Aria asked politely, "We were wondering if there was an Emma who came in with Spencer Hastings?"

The nurse grabbed a folder and opened it, "Ah, Emma Shepherd, not nearly as banged up as Ms. Hastings, she's in room 304, just around the corner there." The nurse pointed down the hall towards the patient rooms.

"Thanks." Aria gave a half smile and looked at Emily.

"What?"

"Come on, we need to ask her what happened!" Aria urged her to follow, pulling her wrist. But she was stopped by the sound of Emily's phone.

"Oh, God," Aria said, expecting the worst.

"Oh God is right." Emily showed Aria her phone and they looked at eachother.

_Poor Spencer didn't even need my help to get hurt, all she needed was the thought of you to distract her! – A_

"Emily." Hanna made her prescence known. Emily turned around and hugged the blonde, as did Aria.

"We were just about to go down to this Emma person's room, we need to find out what happened," Aria explained as Emily shoved her phone into her purse.

"Okay, let's go," Hanna nodded. Emily followed behind the two of them, A's message burning in her mind.

The three girls walked in to room 304 and sure enough, there was a girl, sitting up, a few stitches on her eyebrow and a bandage over her left forearm.

"Are you Emma?" Aria asked.

"Yeah…um, you must be Emily." Emma was looking at Aria.

"Actually, I'm Emily," Emily stepped foreward and Emma's eyes scanned Emily's features, nodding and then softly laughing.

"Wow," Emma said softly.

"What?" Emily asked defensively, crossing her arms.

Emma smiled a little, "Spencer told me about you, but she never told me how beautiful you are."

Emily didn't know whether to blush and say thanks or to ask her why Spencer was talking about her. She decided to ignore the comment completely.

"This is Aria and Hanna, we're Spencer's best friends, and well, we were wondering if you could tell us what happened?" Emily asked.

"We were coming back from Brown, I'm the student guide there and Spencer and I have spent the last couple days together. She invited me to come see Rosewood for a couple days and so I agreed. As we were getting off the highway to stop at the toll booth we were T-boned by a pickup truck on the driver's side. Spencer was knocked out so I picked up her phone and called 911, then I texted you." Emma looked at Emily, who looked grief-stricken.

"How bad was Spencer hurt?" Hanna asked.

"Well, the paramedic said her arm was definitely broken, and her shoulder was dislocated. Also, she has a few broken ribs. And aside from some cuts and bruises, that's it I think," Emma explained. The girls nodded and were about to reply when Mr. Hastings appeared in the doorway.

"Girls, we can go see Spencer now," he said, a serious expression on his face.

"Okay…well," Aria turned towards Emma, "Thank you. Do you need us to call anyone for you?"

Emma shook her head, "My mom is headed down from Brown. I'll be okay. Go see Spencer, she needs you more than me."

"It was nice to meet you," Emily said softly, feeling somewhat surprised that Spencer was telling Emma about her.

They exited the room and walked down the hall to Spencer's room, where she sat upright in the bed, a sling and cast on her arm and a bandage around her slim midsection. When she saw the girls her expression lifted a little. Then her eyes met Emily's and time seemed to stop. The days of not speaking were forgotten then and there, and Emily found herself tearing up just seeing that Spencer was alive and awake.

"Guys!" Spencer gave a sigh of relief towards her friends. Melissa and Mr. Hastings stood on the other side of the bed while Mrs. Hastings sat in the chair to Spencer's left.

"We're so happy you're okay!" Hanna said, smiling.

"Yeah, I was so scared…we all were," Emily said in agreement. Spencer gave an appreciative smile and winced when she tried to adjust her position.

"Of course I end up in the hospital, right?" Spencer joked sarcastically. The other three girls tried not to laugh at her dry joke.

"Just be happy you're alive, young lady!" Mrs. Hastings said, pointing a finger at her daughter.

"Yeah, we're so happy you and Emma are okay!" Hanna smiled. Spencer gave them a confused look.

"You saw Emma?"

"Yeah, she's the one who texted me and told me you were here," Emily explained, "Then I called them and now we're here. She's just down the hall."

"Is she okay?" Spencer asked, worry covering her bruised face.

Emily didn't know why, but she felt jealous, knowing Spencer was so worried about Emma.

"She's fine. And let's be honest, she's in a _lot_ better shape than you. From what she told us you got the worst of the crash!" Hanna explained.

"I'm just happy she's okay," Spencer nodded. Just then, there was a knock on the door and a doctor poked his head through the door.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Uhlig, I have Spencer's paper work right here, and if you've got a moment, I'd like to speak to you, Mr. and Mrs Hastings," He said kindly, "Just some health history and allergy stuff."

"Of course," Veronica nodded, waving for Peter to follow her out of the room with Dr. Uhlig.

"I'm going for some coffee," Melissa said dryly, exiting as well, leaving the four girls alone in the room.

Hanna could feel the tension between Emily and Spencer and she decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Aria, will you come with me? I think I'm going to grab some coffee too." Hanna gave Aria a knowing look and she immediately read Hanna's expression.

"Sure. We'll be back soon, guys." The two girls exited and shut the door behind them before Emily or Spencer could say anything. Emily was the first to speak.

"I'm so happy you're okay, Spencer. I was so worried when I got that text, and I-"

"Emily." Spencer cut her off abruptly, "We still need to talk." Spencer almost always seemed to be in business mode, even when she was injured in a hospital bed. She always got down to business without any fucking around. Emily closed her mouth and nodded slowly, moving over to the chair where Veronica had previously sat.

"Listen, Spence. I don't know who Emma is, and I don't know where we stand right now. But I care about you…so much," Emily began, but Spencer interrupted again.

"Then why are you with Samara, Em? Why do that to me?"

Emily almost looked angry, now. "Because I really care about her, too! And plus, all that happens when you and me are together is we get into arguments!"

"Well maybe I wanna argue!" Spencer said almost sarcastically. This time, it was Emily's turn to butt in.

"Yeah well I don't!" Emily raised her voice to stop the conversation. Spencer sank back into the pillows on the bed and looked away.

"I just care about you Em…so, so much. And…" Spencer decided not to finish her thought.

"And what?"

"Do you want to know the truth?" Spencer asked, looking back at the tan skinned girl sitting next to her bed.

"Yes!"

"And I want you to myself. I don't want Samara to hurt you, I want to be the one with you. I just never realized it until it was too late…but it doesn't matter now. Nothing can stop you from seeing her…" Spencer fought tears and looked away again.

Without speaking, Emily stood up and headed for the door, "I need some air." Emily's voice cracked with what sounded like a soft sob, and as Spencer glanced towards her, all she saw was the door closing.

Now Spencer felt more alone than ever.

…

A couple of hours passed and Spencer had insisted that everyone go home for a while and eat. So she was left in her hospital room with a book Mrs. Hastings had left for her. As she started to settle in and read, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in!" She said meekly, her voice hoarse and her ribs sore.

The door knob turned and the door swung open to reveal Wren standing with a smile on his face.

"Wren," Spencer said, surprised to see the young doctor.

"Hello, Spencer," He said gently, "How're you feeling?"

"Are you my doctor now?" She asked curiously. He stepped further intot the room and shook his head with a chuckle.

"No, I just heard about the accident earlier today and thought I'd come see how you were. I hope you don't mind. I was just worried." He looked into her eyes and pursed his lips.

"Oh, well, I'm lucky, I know that," She said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Yes, you're very lucky, indeed. And I'm so happy you're okay." Wren touched her right hand and she looked up at him.

"Wren," Spencer knew she had to be honest with him, "I have feelings for someone else." She looked at him with a stern seriousness behind her eyes.

He nodded and withdrew his larger hand, "I understand. It was good to see you," Wren said with a half smile as he moved for the door again.

"Bye, Wren," Spencer replied, not sure how to feel about the unexpected visit. As soon as Wren had left, another person appeared in Spencer's doorway. This time, a big smile graced over Spencer's tired face.

"Hey," Emma smiled weakly, "They told me I was free to get up and around, now it's just a matter of waiting for my mother." Emma laughed lightly and shook her head.

"Emma, I am so sorry about the accident…" Spencer began.

Emma rushed to sit next to the bed as she shook her head, "Spencer, don't be sorry! It wasn't your fault! I'm just happy you're okay."

"Me, too."

"And your friends said hi to me, earlier. They were all very sweet…Emily was very nice. I can see why you like her."

"I'm not sure it matters any more," Spencer muttered. Emma gave Spencer a sideways glance.

"Look, Spencer," Emma scooted forward and held her hand, "Things _will _get better. I promise." Emma's big brown eyes met Spencer's and Spencer smiled.

"They already are," Spencer said, leaning in slowly towards Emma.

Outside the hospital room, Emily walked down the hall, trying to figure out what to say. She needed to be on good terms with Spencer. She sped up as she neared Spencer's room, smiling softly as she thought of the brunette. Even if she was with Samara, she couldn't deny her feelings for the fair skinned beauty. But as she looked up from the floor and into the open doorway all her feelings sank and her gut twisted into a knot. She tried not to cry out when she saw Spencer kissing Emma softly.

Spencer felt Emily's presence and pulled away from Emma. Spencer's eyes widened and she swallowed hard, then her voice cracked.

"Emily."

…

**Tension! Oh boy, what will happen next? Hope you're liking it! Tell me and FUNKYSHAY what you think! :) I'll update soon!**


	6. Apology

**Sorry it's been like a week since my last update everyone! I've just been getting ready for school and everything, so, naturally, I haven't had much writing time. But I figured I should, so everyone can have something to keep their spirits up as summer comes to a close all too quickly. You all will enjoy this update (I hope)!**

**Enjoy and review, kids! :) **

…

"Emily."

Emily didn't know whether to say anything or just walk away. She was frozen as Emma pulled back and turned around to look at her. A lump rose in Emily's throat and she strained to put a sentence together.

"I thought you didn't want me to get hurt." Emily said her words with an unfamiliar bitterness. Spencer had never heard such ice in her tone. It took her by surprise. Spencer blinked a few times.

"Emily…I thought you left…" Spencer couldn't find an explaination.

"So you moved on to the next person?" Emily cut in.

"Em, it's not like that," Spencer said with as much strength as she could muster up.

"Not like what? I know what I saw Spencer!"

"No, I didn't just _move on_. I care about you more than you will ever understand and I—"

Emily butt in again, "Spencer, I came back here to set things right with you, and _this_ is what I get."

"But I—"

"You know what? I'm over it." With that, Emily turned on her heel and walked away.

Spencer sighed, unsure of what to say to Emma, who gave her a sympathetic look.

"This is all my fault," Emma said, shaking her head.

"No, it's my fault. And I like you, Emma. I want to see what we could be…" Spencer trailed off.

"But you're in love with her, aren't you?" Emma asked, lowering her head and looking at her hands. Spencer didn't reply. Instead, she looked away out the window. "Listen, Spencer, I want you to know that I like you a lot. You're smart, funny, athletic, and beautiful. But I want you to be happy. And if that means we have to just be friends, then that's okay. Because that's better than nothing," Emma said in an understanding tone.

"That's…really sweet of you, Emma. You're amazing, but now I have to figure out how I'm going to get Emily to talk to me again. I definitely broke her heart, now I have to pick up the pieces," Spencer said.

…

A week went by, then two, then three, finally, a month was gone and Emily hadn't said much to Spencer. She had tried to call Emily and send her texts as she recovered from the accident. But Emily hadn't responded. Hanna said to let her come back to Spencer on her own.

School had started and as a senior, Spencer was ready to be back in the swing of school. Emma was back at Brown, but she and Spencer were still talking daily. On this particular Saturday, Spencer was going to get her cast off and she was planning on hanging out with Hanna and Aria later.

Emily, on the other hand, was with Samara, who had noticed a change in her girlfriend ever since Spencer's crash. They currently sat on Hanna's back porch, drinking lemonade.

"Emily, I know I've been asking this a lot lately…but is something bothering you?"

Emily looked into Samara's blue eyes for a moment, "Nothing worth mentioning."

"Well, maybe it is. Because it seems to have been bothering you for the past month. What's up?" Samara pressed again.

Emily debated whether to tell Samara about Spencer or not. She chewed her lip and processed her thoughts.

"Spencer told me she was in love with me a little over a month ago. Then, when she was put in the hospital, we got into a fight and haven't spoken since. I got mad at her because she just confessed these feelings for me, then she left for a weekend and came back with some broken bones and a new girlfriend," Emily explained.

"Has she tried to talk to you since?"

"Every day she texts me and says hi, but I never text back," Emily nodded, instinctively looking at her phone to look at one of the many messages from Spencer.

"Maybe you should try and listen to her," Samara suggested, playing with Emily's fingers.

"She told me she didn't want to see me hurt. Then she went with Emma. That hurt."

"Wait, do you have feelings for her?" Samara was very serious when she asked this. Her blue eyes locked onto Emily and she caught the brunette's gaze.

There was a pause, "It's, complicated."

Samara's face fell, "So you do…"

"When she told me about her feelings for me, I shut her out because I wanted to give what we have a chance. And I still mean that," Emily turned more towards Samara and gave a half smile.

"That doesn't alter the fact that you _do_ have feelings for her," Samara said factually, standing up and crossing her arms.

Emily let out a sigh, "Yeah."

"You seem happy when you're with her. Did you know that? You seem to radiate happiness when you two spend time together."

Emily couldn't tell whether Samara was being serious or just acting like a jerk. She gave her girlfriend a sideways glance. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when I first saw you and Spencer, all I knew was that she makes you really happy," Samara answered honestly. Emily stood and moved towards Samara.

"_You _make me happy, too."

"But not as happy as Spencer does," Samara admitted to herself as well as Emily.

Emily finally let what Samara said sink in. "I guess you're right…So what does that mean for us?"

"I think you need to talk to Spencer. As for me, I'll always be there for you but, I don't think it'll ever be the way I want it to be," Samara said softly, her eyes brimming up.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Samara. I don't want to hurt anyone," Emily said meekly.

"That's not possible," Samara paused to wipe her eyes, "Listen, Spencer will be good to you. Just go talk to her. I'm just going to go…" Samara moved for the door to the house and Emily followed. She just watched as Samara walked through Hanna's kitchen and towards the front door.

"Samara."

The blonde stopped as she pulled the wooden door open and turned back around to face Emily. "Thank you." Then Emily leaned foreward and pressed a short kiss to Samara's tear stained cheek.

"You're going to be happy with Spencer."

With that, Samara was gone.

…

"How's it feel?" Hanna asked as Spencer sat at her desk, examining her newly freed arm. It was more pale than the rest of her arm and the muscle was much weaker than her other forearm.

"It feels good to have it out of that damn cast. I was getting sick of it. That shower I took before you guys came over was amazing!" Spencer nodded.

"And your shoulder?" Aria asked.

"It still is a little sensitive, but its okay. And my ribs are back to normal."

"Now you can get back into field hockey and stuff, right?" Hanna asked.

"Dr. Uhlig said I'm going to have to do some physical therapy if I want to get back out on the field this season," Spencer said with dismay.

"Could be worse," Aria shrugged, trying to be positive. Spencer's phone suddenly chimed and she looked at the screen immediately.

"Who is it?" Hanna asked. Spencer did a double take.

"Emily," was Spencer's only reply. Aria and Hanna looked at eachother before looking at Spencer.

_Emily: We need to talk. Are you at your house?_

"She wants to talk face to face. What do I say?" Spencer looked up at her two friends, who looked at eachother again before Aria spoke.

"I think you should talk with her," Aria said bluntly.

"Really?"

"You need to sort things out with her Spence. You guys are too close to be fighting. We'll stay up here and you can talk to her downstairs," Hanna explianed. Spencer didn't see any reason to argue, so she quickly typed her response.

_Yeah. Come on over._

She set her phone on the desk after pressing the send button and bit her lip. "What do I say to her? She's ignored me for the past month and now she wants to talk. I don't know what I'm going to say." Spencer stood up and began to pace.

"It's going to be awkward, but I'm sure it must be important if she wants to come over. Just try and be understanding. Let everything be said that needs to be said. It'll work out," Aria said calmly.

Spencer nodded, "Okay, well, I'm going to go down and wait for her."

Hanna and Aria gave reassuring smiles as Spencer exited her room and walked down the stairs into the living room. There, she plopped onto the couch and waited anxiously.

A couple minutes later, there was a knock on the door by the kitchen and Spencer jumped up to answer. There was Emily, standing with her bottom lip between her teeth. Spencer swung open the door and for a moment, neither of them even moved.

"Hey." Emily's voice was soft and innocent. Spencer actually smiled at the small sound.

"Hey, come in."

The two of them walked into the living room and sat on the couch, both of them sitting on opposing ends.

"What's going on?" Spencer asked. Emily took a deep breath and looked at Spencer.

"Samara and I broke up," Emily said, swallowing hard.

"What? Why?" Secretly, Spencer was jumping with glee, but she hated seeing Emily upset.

Emily shook her head slowly, "She know's that I'd be happier with you. So she ended it."

Spencer didn't quite know how to react. She blinked a couple of times and opened her mouth to speak. "Would you be?"

Emily looked over into Spencer's brown eyes, her heart beating faster as she looked upon the beautiful girl across from her. Slowly, Emily nodded, "It's all I've ever wanted since I came out. But now you're with Emma—"

Spencer jumped in, "We chose to remain close friends. Don't worry. She gets how I feel about you."

"You don't hate me for ignoring you?" Emily asked, confused.

"I could never, in a million years, hate you, Em. But hey, friends fight," Spencer shrugged with a small smile.

Emily smiled, too, "So do married couples." Spencer laughed at the tan girl's joke.

"Yes they do," Spencer agreed, still smiling.

"There's another reason I came here tonight. I want know if you would like to go on a date with me?" Emily looked at Spencer hopefully.

"Will it be cheesy, romantic, and will there be food?" Spencer asked teasingly.

"That is very strong possibility, yes. It will be the finest food in Rosewood, prepared by yours truly!" Emily grinned. Spencer scooted closer to Emily on the couch.

"Then definitely yes. It's a date!" Spencer smiled as Emily, too, scooted closer.

"How is next Friday? I'll pick you up at eight," Emily said as they continued to inch towards eachother like gravity.

"Perfect. I can't wait." They were close enough now that Spencer could feel the heat radiating from Emily's body. Emily licked her full lips and caught Spencer's eyes. Then, Emily brought her hand up to cup Spencer's soft cheek and pressed her lips to Spencer's. Spencer's heart leaped as she kissed Emily back with vigor and passion. Emily sucked Spencer's bottom lip into her mouth and bit down on it. Spencer gave a throaty moan and nibbled Emily's top lip in response. Their tongues began to lightly intermingle and oxygen was becoming necessary. They reluctantly pulled back and smiled at eachother.

"It's about time!" Hanna's voice broke the moment from the top of the stairs.

Spencer and Emily both looked over towards the stairs to see Aria and Hanna marching down.

"How long were you up there?" Spencer asked curiously.

"Not very lo—"

"The whole time," Hanna blurted out.

"You guys!" Spencer half laughed.

"What? We just wanted to see our two best friends kiss and make up…literally!" Hanna smiled.

"Why am I not surprised?" Emily smiled and shook her head, looking over at the blonde.

Ignoring Hanna's comment, Aria spoke, "So, I assume you guys are good now?"

Spencer and Emily looked at eachother, "Yeah, we're great," Spencer smiled.

"We have a date next Friday…but you already know that!" Emily said, specifically to Hanna.

"You guys are going to have a great time!" Aria smiled as she looked at the two of them. Their fingers were intertwined and Spencer was rubbing her thumb up and down Emily's.

"Just don't get to frisky!"

"Hanna!"

…

**FUNKYSHAY, I know you wanted to see some Spemma, but I just had to take this chapter this direction. We aren't done with Emma and Samara just yet. But for now, I just needed to get some Spemily fluff in there. We've kept everyone waiting for so long! Hope everyone liked it! :)**


	7. Cheesy

**I'm so ready to get this update going! I've had two Spemily stories on my plate lately. This one, which is more of a drama, and another called "A First Time for Everything," and it's more fluffy. So be sure to check it out too!**

**As usual, enjoy and review!**

…

Spencer carefully examined her appearance in her full length mirror. Everything had to be perfect. She loved the new dress she was wearing. It was a knee-length, ruby red, 1940's style dress. The polyester-cotton blend hugging her slight figure perfectly. She adjusted everything from the classical square cut bust line, to the silky black ribbon that was going around her waist. Her brown eyes then moved on, satisfied with her dress, and down to her black flats. In a way she felt like Allie from _The Notebook_. The dress resembled a dress that Allie would wear on her dates with Noah.

She looked at her watch and read the time. It read eight o' clock on the dot. She knew Emily would probably be arriving soon. She grabbed her black shoulder bag and went down to wait. A minute later, sure enough, there was a soft, shy knock on the door. Spencer smiled, knowing Emily anywhere, even from a knock. As she moved to open the door, Veronica walked into the kitchen and stopped when she saw Spencer's appearance.

"You look nice…where are you going?" Her mother asked curiously as Spencer continued to move towards the door.

"Well, I have a date tonight," Spencer nodded as she prepared to open the door.

"With who?" Veronica gave her daughter a playful smile. Spencer pulled the door open and stepped aside.

"With Emily," Spencer said quietly, waiting for her mother's reaction.

"Oh, Emily! It's good to see you again. You look beautiful!" Veronica smiled, unphased.

"You too," Emily giggled a little and eyed Spencer, "thanks."

"I won't keep you guys waiting. I hope your date is fun!" Veronica said, turning to mind her own in the kitchen.

"Bye, mom," Spencer said, surprised, as she and Emily walked out onto the porch, "she didn't even care."

Emily laughed a little and smiled at Spencer as they stood face to face. "You look absolutely incredible. Red is definitely your color, Spence." Emily looked Spencer up and down.

"Well on the contrary, yellow is yours!" Spencer pointed at Emily's strapless yellow sundress that she wore with white flip flops. Emily grinned and leaned in to give Spencer a short, sweet kiss. When she pulled back, Spencer grinned lazily.

"Where are we going?" Spencer asked as Emily laced her fingers with her own and pulled Spencer towards the car.

"You'll see."

"Oh, so _that's_ how it is, huh? And I suppose you won't tell me what you cooked either?" Spencer asked jokingly.

"Yep! It's all a surprise."

"But I hate surprises."

"That's because we're all used to A messages. Those are _all_ a surprise. But this will make you smile. I promise," Emily explained sweetly. Spencer smiled as they pulled out of the driveway and away from Spencer's house.

"Did you tell your mom where you were going?" Spencer asked.

"Well, I just told her I had a date with someone. And I said if things went well I would introduce her next time," Emily explained, keeping her eyes on the road.

Spencer nodded, "Okay. I don't want to rush you with it." Spencer reached over and touched Emily's arm affectionately.

"Thanks."

…

After ten more minutes in the car, Emily pulled up to the lake. Spencer gave her a confused half smile. "What are we doing here?"

"Just follow me," Emily grinned as she got out of the car and opened the back door to retrieve a basket.

"We're having dinner here?" Spencer asked.

"No…" Emily smirked, nudging Spencer to turn around and face the water that was being kissed by the late evening sky, creating a mix of colors which splayed across the clouds. "We're having dinner there." Emily pointed to a small yacht out on the water.

"But how…? I'm supposed to be the one who rents yachts for my dates!" Spencer joked, turning back to Emily.

"I didn't have to pay for it. I always come out here to swim over the summer, and the owner of that boat, Marco, is my dad's military friend. He said if I ever need a favor to just ask. _So_, I just asked if he could let us have a date on his boat tonight. And he said yes," Emily shrugged with a smile. Spencer opened her mouth as a grin covered her face and laughed.

"Wow…it's beautiful!"

"Let's go, there's a dingy we're taking out there." Emily led Spencer down to the dock and they climbed into the small motorboat. Emily started the engine and they made their way out to the small yacht.

Spencer climbed out first and didn't hesitate to turn and help Emily out of the dingy and onto the small set of stairs that went up to the deck of the boat. Once on deck, Emily pulled Spencer inside, where Marco sat at the wheel.

"Marco, thank you again for this," Emily smiled.

"Anything for you. After what your dad has done for me, it's my pleasure. Now, you two go have a good time, let me know when you're ready to go. And you know downstairs is all yours," Marco smiled.

"Thanks. C'mon," Emily waved goodbye and led Spencer back out onto the deck, shutting the door behind them. On the back area of the deck, a table for two was set up. There were low lights coming from the edges of the upper part of the boat, which made for a very romantic atmosphere.

"You are so _corny_!" Spencer grinned when she saw the table.

"Wait until you see what I made for dinner!" Emily set the basket down by the table and pulled out many assorted containers, which were all in hot or cold packs. The first of the dishes was chicken alfredo with long spaghetti noodles. Next was a tropical fruit salad, homemade garlic bread, and last but not least, red velvet cupcakes with chocolate frosting for dessert.

"Em, you made _all_ of that?" Spencer asked, impressed by Emily's culinary skills.

"Well, my mom would always teach me how to cook all of my favorite foods, so that someday I could make them myself," Emily explained as she carefully dished out the food onto the plates.

"It looks delicious," Spencer nodded with approval.

"It tastes even better," Emily grinned, picking up a strawberry from the fruit salad and offering it to Spencer. Spencer smirked and leaned forward to let Emily feed it to her. Spencer took a bite and watched Emily slowly bring the remaining half up to her lips to bite. The whole time their eyes never diverting from one another. Spencer licked her lips after finishing her bite and leaned in to give Emily a nice wet kiss.

"Perfect," Spencer whispered, giving Emily a chill down her spine.

"We um, should eat. Don't you think?" Emily asked somewhat nervously. Spencer smiled sweetly at the beautiful brunette as they sat across from one another.

"Oh, I _almost _forgot!" Emily jumped up, "I'll be right back!" The tall swimmer made a bee-line for the door leading inside and went in. A few moments later, she appeared with a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

"Oooh, very nice!" Spencer grinned as Emily placed the two glasses on the table and poured some of the bubbly beverage in each cup. Then she placed the bottle in the basket on the side of the table.

"Cheers, to us." Emily raised her glass.

"No, cheers to you, sweet Emily. To you," Spencer smiled lovingly at Emily, who blushed and clinked her glass with Spencer's.

"Let's dig in!" Emily said, picking up her silverware and starting to eat.

"Oh, I have an idea!" Spencer picked up a long noodle and put one end in her mouth while handing the other to Emily. She grinned and accepted it from Spencer's hand, leaning in towards the middle of the table so they could both reach. Then they started eating towards each other, finally meeting for a sweet kiss. They burst into giggles and sat back, they're eyes never leaving each other's.

They ate in a comfortable silence, filled with flirtatious eye contact and the occasional wink or laugh. When they were finished with their food, including the cupcakes and two refills on champagne each, they placed all the remnants in the basket and set it aside.

"I have something else," Emily grinned, going inside once more. Spencer waited patiently, wondering what Emily could have up her sleeve next. Suddenly, the song _Iris_ by The Goo Goo Dolls was playing through the external speakers of the boat. Emily re-emerged and gave Spencer a sexy smile.

"Can I have this dance?" Emily asked teasingly. Spencer just nodded and they wrapped their arms around each other. With her arms around Spencer's back, Emily nuzzled Spencer's hair and inhaled her sweet aroma, her nose and lips grazing over Spencer's cheek as she came back to look at Spencer.

"God, you are just so _fucking_ beautiful." Spencer reached her hand up to tuck a strand of Emily's hair behind her ear as they swayed slowly to the beat of the music. "I'm so happy I don't have to see you hurt anymore. I'm sorry that I put you through all that."

"Well, I didn't exactly help either. I was _so_ caught up in worrying about everyone else instead of thinking about what I wanted. And it turned out that what I wanted the whole time was you, Spence," Emily said honestly, her hands subconsciously rubbing up and down Spencer's back. Spencer grinned and leaned in so that her nose brushed with Emily's.

"You know, Em, you confuse me, and you infuriate me, and you can't make up your mind sometimes, and you are too sweet for your own good," Spencer began, receiving a look from Emily before she continued, "But you're also the one who I can always talk to. You always know how to make me smile, you calm me down when I'm stressed out, and you tell me when I mess up. And lastly, you make me happier than anyone else in my life," Spencer confessed, cupping Emily's face in her hands. Emily grabbed Spencer's waist and pulled her flush against her lean body so their lips met in a passionate kiss. Spencer's hands laced into Emily's silky hair as their tongues intertwined. Emily smiled into the kiss and nibbled Spencer's lower lip before pulling back, leaving Spencer wanting more.

"This dress really is beautiful, Spence," Emily fingered the red fabric, tracing patterns on the material covering Spencer's hip. Spencer's hands fell to rest on the inside of Emily's upper arms. Her senses tingled with arousal as Emily kept a dangerously sexy look in her eyes and her hands continued to run up and down Spencer's sides. She ran them from Spencer's hips all the way up to just under her breasts and back down again.

Spencer was at a loss for words as Emily continued her tantalizing actions. They showed a new side of Emily, a side that Spencer never would have dreamed existed. Spencer leaned forward and stole a kiss from the tan girl, who kissed her back with a gentle touch, smiling into Spencer's lips.

When they pulled back again, Spencer bit her lip and blushed, feeling a wave of affection for Emily wash over her. The song changed to _True_ by Spandau Ballet.

"Now _this_ is cheesy!" Spencer giggled at the song choice.

"It's how I do dates!" Emily gave a shrug, "Think you can get used to it?" She had a teasing look in her eyes.

Spencer smirked and nodded, "Definitely." She leaned in and captured Emily's lips again. This time, they stopped swaying and deepened the kiss. There seemed to be no boundaries between them as they longed for more contact.

After a few minutes, Spencer pulled back and looked out at the now completely dark lake.

"Spence, can I ask you something?" Emily asked as they stepped, hand in hand, over to the back of the boat to look out onto the calm water.

Spencer looked at Emily and nodded, "Anything."

"Have you ever had sex? With anyone?" Emily looked down at her hands with embarrassment.

Spencer slowly shook her head and looked back out at the water, "No…never. Have you?"

Emily sighed, the memory making her heart ache, "Once…with Samara."

"I want you to be my first time," Spencer said quietly. Emily's eyes widened a little bit.

"Tonight?" Emily asked, surprise in her voice.

Spencer laughed a little and shook her head again, "No. But sometime. Sometime when we have the whole night to ourselves. We'll go somewhere we won't be bothered, and it'll be super cheesy!" Spencer joked at the end, causing Emily to break out into a smile. She gave Spencer's hand a light squeeze as she brought it up to kiss.

"I'd really like that."

…

"Tonight was unbelievable," Spencer said as the two of them stood in Spencer's kitchen upon arriving back at the house.

"Yeah, I'm really happy you said yes." Emily smiled as she leaned back against the kitchen counter, Spencer standing in front of her.

"How could I pass up a date with you?" Spencer asked, leaning forward to kiss Emily on the lips, but they were interrupted by Veronica coming down the stairs. The two stepped apart in embarrassment, but not in time for Veronica not to see.

"I'm guessing the date went well, then?" Veronica asked with a smile. Spencer and Emily looked at each other before Spencer answered.

"Um, yeah. It went really well. We were just…planning a second date," Spencer said awkwardly.

"Mhm…and how is that going?" Her mom asked jokingly.

"_Mom_…" Spencer gave her mom a look as her cheeks turned scarlet.

"Sorry, sorry! I'll stop," Veronica chuckled as she walked into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee.

"Well, I better go Spence. I'll text you later," Emily stepped towards the door.

"I'll walk you to your car." Spencer looked back at her mother before following Emily out the door. Emily stopped when she reached her car and turned back to face Spencer.

"Goodnight. Thank you for a great night," Spencer said softly, holding Emily's hand.

"Night, Spence." Emily stepped up and gave Spencer a nice, lingering kiss. "Bye," She husked against Spencer's lips.

"Bye." Spencer watched as Emily slid into her car and pulled off into the night.

…

That Wednesday, while Spencer was in her AP Government class, her phone buzzed and she looked down to see who it was from.

_Emma: Hey! I've got a bunch of tickets to the Blink 182 concert in Philidelphia. I was wondering if you, Emily, and your friends would all like to come with me. There's someone I want you to meet. :) _

Spencer grinned and quickly replied without her teacher seeing.

_That would be amazing! But how did you score them?_

She looked back up at the front of the room, pretending to pay attention as she awaited a response. Five minutes passed before her phone buzzed again.

_Emma: Let's just say my dad might know one of the band's managers ;) you know how it goes!_

Spencer agreed. She knew what it was like to have connections in the family.

_I see. Well, when is the concert?_

_Emma: in a week and a half. It falls on a Friday._

_Okay, sounds fun! I'll let you know if all the girls can go!_

Spencer finished the last text and hit send, just in time to catch then end of her teacher's extensive lecture, unable to wipe the smile from her face.

…

**Okay, kids! Now I'm going to update "A First Time for Everything." I hope you all enjoyed this!**


	8. Hungry

**I know everyone's getting back into school and work, so I know it is hard to take the time to read my updates! But I am very thankful for all the feedback! Enjoy!**

**EDIT: I was about 4000 words into this update when I realized that's a lot for one chapter. So, as a treat, I'm just going to split it down the middle and post two regular chapters at once!**

…

"When is Spencer going to be here? I want to know what her surprise is!" Hanna said impatiently as she, Aria, and Emily all stood in the high school parking lot by Aria's car.

"She said she'll get out of lacrosse practice as soon as possible. She should be here any minute now," Emily replied, looking down at her pink Nike women's watch.

"Spence sure sounded excited about whatever her big news is!" Aria recalled, trying to think of what it could be.

"Speak of the devil!" Hanna grinned as Spencer crossed from the sidewalk over to Aria's car.

"Hi, to you too, Han," Spencer said sarcastically.

"Hey, you," Emily gave a shy smile as Spencer set her bag down and gave the swimmer a proper kiss.

"So, what's this big surprise?" Aria asked, anxious to hear.

"Well, Emma sent me a text a few days ago…"

"Oh boy," Hanna butt in.

"Will you let me finish, woman?" Spencer looked at the blonde.

"Sorry."

"Like I was saying, Emma texted me the other day and invited all of us to go see Blink-182 with her in Philadelphia this coming Friday!" Spencer looked at the girls, waiting for a reaction.

"Wait, she has tickets for _all_ of us? That must have cost a fortune!" Hanna said, her smile growing.

"Her dad knows one of the band's managers or something. Anyway, she has enough for all of us to go. Are you guys in? It'd be a blast." Spencer looked hopeful. She wanted her friends to like Emma if she was going to be friends with her. Mostly because she knew what her best friends were capable of.

"Well you _know_ I'm in," Emily smiled, slipping her hand in Spencer's.

"Hell yeah!" Hanna said in a _duh_ tone.

"Looks like we're going to Philly next Friday!" Aria said excitedly.

…

"Okay, girls, you know where the hotel is and everything?" Mrs. Marin asked cautiously as Hanna and Emily gathered their overnight bags for the trip to Philly on Friday morning.

"Yeah, mom, don't worry. We have it all under control!" Hanna insisted.

"Thanks for letting us go, Ashley," Emily added, giving the woman a warm hug.

"You guys will have a great time, I'm sure! Just be careful!"

"We will, Mom," Hanna hugged her mother as she and Emily moved for the front door.

"I love you…both of you!" Ashley smiled, looking a little worried as the two girls went down the driveway towards Hanna's car, which they had decided to take to Philly, since it was the roomiest.

"Love you too!" Hanna and Emily said simultaneously before sliding into the car and speeding off towards Aria's.

At the Montgomery house, Ella was giving Aria a talk about what to do in case of an emergency.

"Mom," Aria said, using the unfamiliar calling sign to get Ella's attention, "We'll be fine, I promise. We all have each other to lean on!" Aria grinned, hugging her mom goodbye.

"Okay, honey, love you. Have fun!" Ella waved as Emily and Hanna waited in the doorway.

"Love you, too, mom." Aria bid her mother one final goodbye and left with the other two.

"Aria, you can sit up front with Hanna. I'm going to sit back here with Spence," Emily said once they reached Hanna's car. Aria shot Hanna a grin that went unnoticed by Emily, who was already buckled into the back seat behind Aria.

"Okay, Em. Whatever you say," Aria said casually.

Hanna climbed in and put the car in reverse, "To Spencer's house we go."

The three of them went up to Spencer's door and knocked when they got there. Spencer opened the door, her bags already in hand, and stepped out without so much of a word to Peter or Veronica. Spencer noticed the other three giving her a look.

"What? I already said goodbye!" Spencer said innocently.

"Let's go then!" Hanna clapped once as she skipped down the driveway.

"Well, someone's excited!" Spencer remarked, walking next to Emily on the way to the car.

"Really? I couldn't tell!" Emily joked, helping Spencer load her bag in the trunk before they climbed in the back seat together.

"And we're off, ladies! Let's kick it!"

…

"Hi, we have two rooms, all booked under Hastings," Spencer said articulately as they approached the front desk of the luxurious hotel lobby.

"Let me just look…Okay, one night in two conjoined rooms, is that correct?" The manager looked up from the computer screen with a friendly expression on his face.

"Yep, that's us!" Spencer confirmed.

"You'll be in rooms 1202 and 1204. Here are your keys, ladies. Enjoy your stay!"

They all thanked him and immediately headed for the elevators with their things.

"So, where is Emma meeting us again?" Hanna asked as the elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Aria pressed the number 12 on the array of buttons and the doors closed shortly after.

"She wants to meet for an early dinner before the concert to introduce us to a friend of hers," Spencer explained, "She said once we decide where we want to eat to text her and let her know."

"But there's so many good places in Philly!" Hanna whined.

"Ooh, you know what sounds good? Kobe's Steakhouse!" Aria suggested, licking her lips at the thought of the Japanese restaurant.

"I've never been," Emily said as the elevator finally reached their floor. "Is it good?"

The girls filed out and looked at the signs on the wall which indicated the direction of room numbers.

"It's delicious!" Hanna grinned as Spencer went right down the hallway, leading the others along with her.

"You would love it! They cook right at your table and put it straight from the grill to your plate! It's amazing," Aria agreed as they rounded another corner, still following Spencer of course.

"1200…1202 and 1204! Here we are," Spencer handed the two keys to 1202 to Aria and Hanna and handed Emily one of the keys to 1204 while keeping the other for herself. "Okay, let's get settled in, shower, dress for dinner, and be out of here by 6," Spencer said quickly.

The others nodded and they went into their respective rooms. Emily walked into the nice hotel room behind Spencer and set her things on the bed closest to the door.

"I don't think this bed will be necessary. It'll make a good place for my stuff," Emily joked. Spencer set her things down and walked over to stand behind Emily as the tan brunette unzipped her Rosewood Sharks duffle bag. She stopped, however, when she felt Spencer's hands slip around her waist. Emily turned around and slung her arms over Spencer's shoulders.

"I couldn't agree more…" Spencer leaned in for a kiss, and just as their lips were about to connect, there was a banging on the door leading into Aria and Hanna's room. Spencer groaned. "I _wonder_ who that could be."

"Are you guys _already_ getting busy over there?" Hanna shouted behind the door that separated them.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Spencer asked, giving Emily a wink as she waited for Hanna's reply.

"Yeah, actually, I would!"

Spencer could picture Hanna's devious face now, curious about every detail of every moment. But that was Hanna Marin.

Emily and Spencer heard Aria's muffled voice in the background, "Hanna, get your ass over here and help me pick out an outfit. Let them do their thing!"

Emily giggled and looked back at Spencer, "Speaking of doing our thing…" Emily leaned in and kissed Spencer. They could still hear the faint sound of Hanna whining as she walked away from the door to help Aria. Spencer pressed her body flush against Emily's and embraced the lean girl. She pulled her lips away and nuzzled Emily's smooth mass of black hair. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, soaking in the sweet smell of Emily, her sweet perfume mixed with the smallest trace of chlorine. Emily ran her hands over the middle of Spencer's back, her hot palms making goose bumps arise wherever she touched, and her soft lips pressing light kisses to Spencer's neck.

"I love this," Emily said tenderly into Spencer's neck. She felt Spencer nod and they continued to hold one another. After a moment, they pulled apart, now only connected by their hands, which had automatically linked together upon separating.

"We should get ready for tonight," Spencer said, a small trace of regret in her voice.

Emily nodded, "Help me pick out something sexy to wear." The brunette winked at Spencer, who only responded with a kiss.

"I'd be delighted."

…

"Hanna! Come on, we're leaving!" Spencer banged on the bathroom door in Aria and Hanna's hotel room. Aria laughed from the bed as she finished putting her shoes on.

"I'm almost done! Just give me a second!" Hanna said in a rushed tone. Spencer wondered why Hanna was even putting on her makeup with the door closed. She then put the pieces together and barged into the bathroom to find her suspicions to be true. There she found Hanna sitting on the closed toilet seat, sipping from her infamous silver flask, which she then quickly hid behind her back upon Spencer's entrance.

"Christ, Hanna!" Spencer said, her hands on her hips, her brow furrowed. Emily appeared behind Spencer to see what was going on.

"Hanna, you weren't drinking without us, were you?" Emily asked, laughing as Hanna sat, silent.

"What? I just don't think I can go out to dinner with someone who used to be in the way of you two!" Hanna motioned to Emily and Spencer, who then looked at each other before looking back at the blonde, who shamelessly took another big sip of whatever liquor occupied her metal container.

Spencer sighed, "Give me _that_!" She snatched the flask from the blonde's hands, but it was too late. The flask proved to be empty as Spencer turned it upside down over the sink. Spencer looked back at Hanna, who shrugged, _clearly_ past the point of caring what the others thought.

"What are we going to do with you?" Aria asked, joining Emily and Spencer in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Guess we're doing some extra babysitting tonight…" Spencer muttered as she grabbed Hanna's wrist and pulled her out of the bathroom. "Let's go guys, we're going to be late for dinner."

"I'm _starving_!" Hanna giggled as they grabbed their things and headed down the hall towards the elevators. Then Aria made a realization.

"Hanna, when was the last time you ate?" Aria asked cautiously.

"Umm…I don't know. But I've been hungry since…" Hanna's mind drew a blank as she tried to calculate the hours she'd felt emptiness in her stomach, "since _some_ time ago!" She settled for the useless response and the other three made eye contact, all of them aware of the consequences of drinking on an empty stomach.

"Oh, _great_!" Spencer said sarcastically, continuing to pull Hanna down the hall. Emily opened her large tote bag and pulled out a bottle of water and opened it before offering it to Hanna.

"Drink," Emily commanded. They finally came to a stop at the elevators and Aria pressed the down arrow. Hanna drank a third of the bottled water before clumsily passing it back to Emily. The gold elevator doors glided open after a moment and they stepped inside.

"Hanna. You need to tell us if you feel sick at all, okay? We're gonna have to get you some food as soon as we get situated at the restaurant," Aria explained. Hanna laughed a little.

"Man, this elevator is so _pretty_! Don't you think so?"

"We're gonna have a long night…" Spencer muttered as the elevator doors opened onto the ground floor, allowing her to drag Hanna along once again.

…


	9. Ready

…

"You made it!" Emma greeted the four of them as they found the table she had reserved earlier. Spencer stepped forward to give the slender girl a hug. Emily felt jealousy flare in her gut at the sight. The embrace was short-lived, however, and Spencer's hand was soon laced with Emily's again as they all turned their attention to the blonde who stood behind Emma.

"Everyone, this is Evelyn Montoya, my uh, girlfriend. Evelyn, this is Spencer, Emily, Hanna, and Aria…" Emma said, unsure of Hanna and Aria's names. When they nodded and greeted Evelyn in return her smile grew in pleasure as the six of them sat around the rectangular table. They all made small chatter about how exciting it would be to see their dinner cooked right before their eyes on the grill that served as a large portion of the table itself. They sat in a three quarters rectangle around the edge of the grill, Aria on the end, then Hanna, followed by Emily, Spencer, Emma, and finally, Evelyn on the other end. Underneath the table, Emily's fingers traced circles on the inside of Spencer's thigh, making her knee move up and down in anxiousness. Every once and awhile, Spencer would move her own hand over Emily's as an attempt to cease her tantalizing actions, but the brunette would just smile at Spencer as if nothing were wrong. Then she would simply look back down at her menu and continue to look for something she'd like to try.

Their waiter took their drink orders and left to retrieve them. Meanwhile, the chef came with a small cart of supplies to the grill. He introduced himself and explained that he was just going to prepare to cook.

"So, Evelyn, are you a student at Brown also?" Spencer asked, trying to preoccupy herself. Evelyn smiled and her blue eyes lightened a little.

"Yeah, Emma and I have a couple of courses together and well, we just clicked. I've heard a lot about you, Spencer. Especially about how talented you are. Emma told me all about your impressive college application," Evelyn nodded. Evelyn Montoya was flawless looking. Aside from her golden blonde hair, her big blue eyes stuck out from the rest of her features. All but her full, pink lips, those similar to Emma's, but Evelyn's were longer. Her smile beamed with just a flash of her white teeth, and it seemed contagious to all who saw it. Spencer could see why Emma liked her so much.

"Well, I told Evelyn how much you love extracurricular activities, since Evelyn is an art major and all, and—," Emma was interrupted by Aria, who's interest had suddenly been sparked.

"What kind of art?" Aria asked with a pleased smile.

"Well, my favorite art to study are more classical pieces. You know, Da Vinci, Van Gogh… the old school stuff. What I like to do is take that old style and try to find a way to incorporate it into modern art. Anything from old Europe is right down my alley," Evelyn smiled. "Are you into art?"

Aria nodded as-a-matter-of-factly, "Oh yeah. All kinds. I love art that hasn't been seen before. Art that creates a name for itself," Aria grinned. "I do a lot of pottery, too. And painting. But that's mostly for me."

"Aria's just being modest. Her artwork is _sweet_," Hanna chimed in, trying her best not to sound drunk and failing.

"I'd love to see some of your stuff sometime. I might bring a sketchbook of mine or two. We can both share," Evelyn offered.

"You draw, too? What do you like to draw?" Aria asked.

"Mostly portraits. But they aren't nearly as polished as my paintings usually are. I've just always been better with a brush!" Evelyn gave a shrug and a laugh.

"I love drawing, but I wish I was better, though," Aria nodded.

"Well, I'm sure you do just fine," Evelyn smiled.

"Emily, what about you? I just realized that I have no idea what you like to do," Emma turned to Emily, who had stopped teasing Spencer for the moment to look over the menu with _both_ hands.

"I'm a swimmer. I'm really pulling for a scholarship for it," Emily informed, trying to be as sweet as her jealousy allowed. For some reason, even though she was with Spencer, she couldn't help but feel mad that Spencer could have chosen Emma over her.

"Emily rocks in the water! It keeps her body looking _ah-mazing_!" Hanna added in, this time, obviously showing her drunken state. Emma and Evelyn laughed a little, seeming amused at Hanna's slurs.

"Is, she okay?" Evelyn asked curiously, not sure whether to laugh some more or be concerned.

"Yeah, she just gets a little out of whack when she's hungry," Aria covered lamely. Evelyn raised her brows and gave a look saying, 'If you say so,' and returned to scanning her menu.

"And _boy_, am I hungry!" Hanna giggled.

"Are you ready to order?" The chef asked them with a smile.

"I think so. Do you guys know what you want?" Spencer asked everyone. They all nodded, all except Hanna, who was fascinated by her glass of water. Aria smacked the blonde under the table and her head shot up, finally noticing all the girls looking back at her.

"Oh, yeah, I _definitely_ know what I want!"

"Well then, what can I cook for you?"

…

Dinner was filled with entertainment from their charismatic chef. Hanna was kept in check by Aria and Emily, for the most part, anyway. The chef skillfully prepared each of their meals right before their eyes and they drooled for the savory dinner as he placed each meal on their plates.

"Yay, food!" Hanna celebrated. Aria snorted out a laugh as they all dug in.

"This looks delicious!" Emily grinned, examining her plate of Hibachi vegetables and fried rice with an herbal soup.

"Here Em, try this." Spencer was offering Emily a bite of her Yakitori, which is a zesty grilled chicken on a skewer with grilled veggies. She held the piece of chicken with her chopsticks and brought it up for Emily to eat. Emily playfully smiled and took the bite.

"It's great," Emily grinned. The tan girl then looked down at the table and picked up her chopsticks. "Spence, will you show me how to use them?" Emily looked into Spencer's eyes, making sure Emma could see. She wasn't meaning to flaunt her and Spencer's relationship in front of Emma, but at the same time, it felt good, knowing she had been the one Spencer ended up with.

"Sure," Spencer placed the chopsticks properly in Emily's hand before guiding it with her own. "You just need to think of them as tweezers. Just open and close like this, and keep them straight, or else you'll drop your food," Spencer smiled, her hand still on Emily's.

"Thanks, babe," Emily smiled flirtatiously. After a couple minutes of practice, Emily was getting the hang of things.

"You're doing great," Spencer smiled in between bites of rice. "You pick up on things so fast."

Emma shifted in her seat and turned to Evelyn, "How's yours, sweetheart?" She asked.

"Amazing, the teriyaki beef is fantastic!" Evelyn nodded.

"This is the best thing I've ever tasted!" Hanna splurged over her plate of Hayashi Raisu, which is Japanese style hashed beef stew, thinly sliced beef and onions in a demi-glace sauce served over or alongside cooked rice. Meanwhile, Aria worked on her Yakisoba, a noodle dish similar to Lo Mein and served with vegetables.

"I'm glad you all could come! This is going to be such a fun concert! I even got us some backstage passes," Emma said, giving a smirk that seemed spookily close to that of Alison's when she was in control. Hanna almost spat out her drink as she looked at Emma in disbelief.

"No way." Hanna watched as Emma reached into her purse and pulled out the passes, which were attached to lanyards for all of them to wear. She passed one over for Hanna to look at.

"That's so cool! We're going to _meet_ Blink-182," Aria said, grinning as she leaned closer to Hanna as to get a better look at the pass.

"Emma, you didn't have to do this…" Spencer looked at Emma, who shook her head and shrugged.

"I wanted to. I feel like if we were going to be friends, then I needed to get to know your best friends better, and of course, your girlfriend, too," Emma looked at Emily. "I mean, seeing in how protective you all are over one another just makes me feel like it's the right thing for all of us."

"That means a lot to me. Thanks." Spencer smiled thankfully, happy that Emma felt the same way about the girls.

"I'm glad we came too," Emily added, smiling a real smile towards Emma for the first time.

…

The concert arena was jammed with fans from top to bottom. The six girls excitedly made their way down to the floor as the opening band finished their performance, readying the crowd for the real concert. Spencer held tightly onto Emily's hand as they moved through the mob of people. In her other hand, Spencer clutched Hanna's arm, unsure of if she was fully sobered up yet or not.

They all settled on a spot towards the middle where Emma stood next to Evelyn, her right arm wrapped securely around her waist. Spencer stood across from the two of them with Emily and Hanna and Aria on Emily's right, all making small talk about the concert. Spencer saw Emma and Evelyn and she observed how intimate they seemed. It brought Spencer to a decision she had been struggling to make all night. She smirked and leaned over to speak softly into Emily's ear.

"Em, I want to do it tonight." Her voice was low and husky.

Emily pulled back and looked into Spencer's deep brown eyes, a smile slowly spreading onto her lips.

"You mean—,"

"I want you tonight, Emily. I don't want to have any limits. Just us." Spencer was dead serious and Emily couldn't fight the smile that was now plastered onto her face. Before Spencer could say anything else, Emily had pulled her in for a passionate kiss as Blink 182 walked out onto the stage, causing the crowd around them to burst with excitement and ear-splitting screams. But Spencer and Emily didn't notice. They didn't notice anything as they slipped away into their own little world in a kiss that said it all.

Emma's face faltered for a moment as the other three looked at the couple admiringly.

"They're so sweet," Evelyn smiled at Hanna and Aria, who nodded in agreement.

"They do this a lot," Aria said, shaking her head.

Emily and Spencer finally pulled apart and smiled as they stood nose to nose for a moment. A moment that was broken by Hanna, as usual.

"Okay, as much as I love you guys' little moments, let's forget the lovey dovey stuff and rock out!" Hanna yelled over the opening song, which was the famous track, 'All the Small Things.' They all laughed joyously and began to sing the night away.

…

"They were so good! I'm glad they played a lot of their original songs!" Hanna said, her voice hoarse from all the screaming they did, her feet sore from dancing. The six of them were headed towards their cars in the parking garage near the arena.

"That was amazing!" Evelyn agreed.

"I think my voice will be gone by the morning!" Emma laughed, her voice cracking already. Aria nodded in agreement and began to reply when her phone buzzed. She looked at the screen and frowned.

_A girls night away makes for hell to pay, bitches. – A._

Her eyes widened, and a moment later Emily, Spencer, and Hanna's phones went off. They all looked at each other after reading the message with worried expressions.

"Woah, that's weird. All your phones just going off at the same time like that!" Emma pointed out.

"That was my uh…my mom," Hanna said. "Yeah, she has all our numbers and she just asked all of us if we were all doing okay. It's kind of the only way she'll get any sleep, knowing we're sticking together," the blonde covered smoothly.

"That's nice of her," Evelyn nodded.

"Well, we better get going if we want to be up in time to make brunch in the hotel restaurant. You guys are welcome to join us at our hotel tomorrow if you want," Spencer offered.

"Thanks," Emma pulled Spencer into a long embrace.

"It was nice meeting you," Evelyn waved goodbye to everyone. As soon as Emma pulled back, Evelyn hugged Spencer as well.

"See you tomorrow?" Aria asked, anxious to get in the car.

"Yeah, bye guys." Emma and Evelyn said their goodbyes for the night and the two of them got into Emma's car and pulled away. Meanwhile, the other four girls sat in Hanna's car, Spencer at the wheel, Emily next to her, and Hanna and Aria in the back seat, all of them trying to figure out what A meant by the message.

"I don't like the sound of this," Hanna shook her head.

"Yeah, we never do seem to like the sound of things with A," Spencer nodded.

"What does A want now?" Emily furrowed her brow, looking from girl to girl for an answer.

"A wants a reaction from us. Can we please just drop this until we go back to Rosewood? A isn't here, we just saw Blink-182. Don't let that bitch ruin our night," Aria said sternly. The others nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I say we head back to the hotel," Hanna said, sounding more energized than before. Emily looked at Spencer and smiled, putting her hand on Spencer's right arm.

"Let's go, Spence." Emily's voice was comforting to the currently tense Spencer. Spencer breathed out the breath she didn't know she had been holding in and nodded.

"After all, our night's not over," Spencer smiled, speaking under a whisper.

"Not by a long shot, babe."

…

**I'm tired.**

**Thanks for the feedback!**


	10. Constancy

**I don't have any homework/better things to do, so I'm just gonna get this update out of the way as my week kicks off. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter and has a fantastic PLL Tuesday! I know I've got the finale fever! :) **

…

Spencer's insides had never been so alive as she stood silently in the elevator with the other girls. The anticipation in her chest sent chills up and down her spine as Emily held her hand gently, not making eye contact or saying anything, just holding her hand as if she would never let go.

Spencer had no idea what to expect from the tan girl that stood by her side. Hell, she didn't even know what Emily expected of _her_. All she knew was that she wanted Emily. And she was going to have her that night. The elevator doors open and the couple followed a tired Aria and Hanna back to their conjoining rooms. Hanna pulled out her keycard and made a few sloppy tries at unlocking the door before Aria pushed her aside and did it herself. Spencer pushed her and Emily's door open at the same time and they turned to say goodnight to each other.

"What time do you want me to wake everyone up for breakfast?" Spencer asked responsibly, knowing she was probably the only one who would be able to wake herself up at a decent hour the next morning.

Aria looked at Hanna for a suggestion, which was met with a careless shrug from the blonde, whose head ached from her previously consumed alcohol. "Eight is good."

"Okay, I'll text Emma and let her know that we'll meet at the restaurant at ten, then. Okay?" Spencer looked at all three of her best friends and they all nodded. "Awesome, see you guys in the morning."

"Have fun, you two!" Hanna teased quietly, her voice hoarse from the concert.

"_Shut up_," Aria hissed, pushing Hanna into the hotel room, "Goodnight." Aria gave one last smile before Spencer and Emily, too, retreated into their room for the night.

Emily stepped into the middle of the room and slid her black pea coat off of her toned shoulders, her muscles moving effortlessly as she stretched her long arms above her head and turned to face Spencer, who had just stood and watched Emily for the past thirty seconds. Emily smiled and batted her eyelashes subconsciously as Spencer stepped closer to her girlfriend.

"What a night, huh?" Spencer's voice had dropped to a low, scratchy murmur. One that sent chills up and down Emily's spine as Spencer placed her slender hands on Emily's side, just above the hem of the off-the-shoulder tee shirt she wore. Emily's breathing hitched and she nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat that had arisen out of anxiousness.

"Mhm…" Emily didn't dare move as Spencer slowly ran her hands around Emily's waist and under her shirt, coming to rest on the hot skin of her lower back. Spencer looked at Emily's dark eyes and pressed her lips to Emily's in a way that made Emily jump a little. It was different, as if Spencer was throwing everything she had into it. All too soon, Spencer pulled back a little and reached up with one hand to tuck a lock of Emily's thick hair behind her ear.

Spencer smiled and almost laughed a little, "I love you, so much."

Emily was taken aback by the sudden words from her girlfriend. A shy grin graced Emily's beautiful face as she bit her lip and spoke softly, "I love you, too."

Spencer grinned at the reply and kissed Emily again, their bodies completely flush, heat radiating off each of them onto the other. Emily wrapped her arms around Spencer and stepped forward, backing Spencer towards the bed. Spencer obliged and continued to kiss Emily as they stepped together, with Emily leading, towards the bed. Spencer, however, broke away when the back of her legs hit the mattress. She looked down at her legs before glancing back up at Emily while tugging at the bottom of Emily's shirt.

"Off," Spencer commanded gently. Emily lifted her arms above her head and allowed Spencer to pull it all the way from her lean body, leaving her with a mere black camisole. But Emily didn't let Spencer off with a free-bee, no. Emily reached eagerly for Spencer's cashmere sweater and tugged the stretchy material off Spencer's slight figure. The black bra that Spencer wore underneath made Emily's loins stir as she cupped the back of Spencer's head and kissed her again. Spencer responded with vigor this time and dipped her tongue into Emily's eager mouth. At the same time, Spencer pulled Emily down on top of her as she fell back on the soft mattress. Emily gave a squeal of delight as they rolled over so that Spencer was now on top. Spencer used her arms to prop herself above Emily, her long hair draped around their faces, seemingly masking them from the rest of the room. They made eye contact and couldn't help but smile at each other.

"Hi," Spencer said breathlessly.

"Hi," Emily reached up and cupped the paler girl's cheek, rubbing it with her thumb for a moment.

Spencer craned her head down and nuzzled Emily's neck, kissing it lightly. She could taste the saltiness of the sweat that had developed there at the concert. She inhaled deeply and kissed Emily's soft skin more urgently. Emily sighed as a shiver ran down her body, the slightest contact with Spencer's skin making her body tingle with arousal.

Spencer felt like she was doing the right thing, so she continued on, placing kisses across Emily's jaw and down the middle of her neck. Emily pressed her body upward into Spencer's as the skinny brunette pressed her lips in the valley of Emily's breasts. Spencer shifted her weight so that she could use one hand and support her body with the other. She pulled Emily's camisole up as much as she could before sitting back on her knees to let Emily finish taking it off. Spencer smiled when she saw that Emily wasn't wearing a bra, the sight of her girlfriend's bare torso made her heart jump nervously in her chest.

Spencer, feeling guilty, reached behind her back and unclasped her own bra, tossing it aside and letting Emily pull her back down. Spencer was taken by surprise, but quickly recovered and reached one hand up to feel Emily's breast. She felt the silky smooth skin against her palm and the small, hard nipple pressing into her palm as she gave a few light caresses. Emily's breath caught in her throat and she tried to make her breathing sound regular, but Spencer wasn't one to miss the little details. She pulled back and slid her hand down Emily's side, making goosebumps arise as she did so. She looked at Emily, her own breathing becoming erratic and shaky.

Spencer gave Emily a reassuring kiss and started to move onward, but Emily stopped her and suddenly pushed Spencer onto her back. The look in her eyes went from soft to dominant in an instant, and Spencer hadn't prepared herself for what came next. Emily slid down Spencer's toned body and undid the button on her skinny black jeans. Emily's lips moved from the left side of Spencer's hips to the right as she prepared to pull them off. She wanted to tease Spencer just a little, though, so she hooked her fingers in either side of her girlfriend's pants and stopped, looking through her brow up at a flustered Spencer.

"Will you just get on with it, already?" Spencer asked in a breath, her comment easing the heavy sexual tension that lingered between them. Emily giggled and kissed Spencer's stomach as she obliged to the brunette's commands. She pulled Spencer's pants all the way off and didn't waste time repeating her process with the black panties Spencer wore underneath. She kissed around Spencer's thighs before crawling back up the bed towards Spencer's face. Emily now hovered over Spencer with a smile on her lips.

"Happy now?"

Spencer glanced downward and frowned, "Hey, no fair…" She pulled at the waistband of Emily's white, ripped up skinny jeans.

"Oh, right." Emily rolled off the edge of the bed and onto her feet in one swift action. There, she proceeded to slip out of the pants as Spencer watched from a propped up position on the bed. Emily kicked the pants aside as she climbed back over her girlfriend.

"There," Emily said as her lips pressed to Spencer's again.

"You're so sexy," Spencer said between kisses. She heard Emily laugh a little into the kiss.

"Just wait for what's next," Emily said into the side of Spencer's face.

"What are you going to—_Oh God_!" Spencer moaned when Emily's hand slid down her stomach and came to rest on her hot center.

"Relax, Spence," Emily whispered. Spencer had no idea how Emily expected her to do that. Emily's hand moved in slow, deliberate circles on Spencer's most sensitive region. Spencer rolled her hips a little, as to move closer to her first orgasm. But Emily wouldn't have it. As soon as Spencer started moving, Emily stopped, "Not so fast. Let me," Emily placed a nice, wet kiss on Spencer's lips that willed Spencer to stop then and there. Spencer remained as still as she could as Emily took her away to another world. She closed her eyes as Emily's lips left hers and moved down her sweaty upper body. She looked down and made eye contact with Emily as the swimmer lowered herself between Spencer's legs, her hands resting on the outside of her hips, as to keep her from moving too much.

Spencer writhed with anticipation. She could feel Emily's hot, off beat breathing on her center, which was desperate for relief from the painful arousal she was feeling. Emily kissed the inside of Spencer's thighs, teasing her girlfriend again.

"Emily Fields, I swear to God, if you don't get on with it, so help me, I will-," Emily cut Spencer off by lowering her mouth onto the wetness between Spencer's legs. Spencer gasped and grabbed a fistful of the fluffy comforter on the bed. "_Shit_!"

Emily sucked and licked in an alternating fashion while Spencer struggled to even breathe. She brought her right hand over to tangle in Emily's smooth, black hair, pressing her head closer into her throbbing core. Emily licked faster and harder when she heard Spencer's deep moans. She could feel Spencer trying to move her hips with Emily's actions, but she only held on tighter as Spencer neared her first orgasm. Spencer's body shook, and just as she was about to release, Emily stopped. Spencer gave a whimper, needing release more than ever.

"_Emily_," Spencer growled. Emily smiled and leaned down, finally giving Spencer what she required. Spencer's chest shook as her whole body stiffened from the waves of pleasure that overwhelmed her. Her muscles instantly relaxed and her whole body felt like Jell-O on the mattress. Spencer panted as if she had just been playing field hockey, she wiped the sweat from her brow and looked down at Emily, who sat up on her knees and wiped the corners of her mouth off.

"Relaxed yet?" Emily teased. Spencer gave a satisfied, close-lipped grin and nodded, not even giving the effort to lift her head from the pillows. Emily laughed a little and came up to meet Spencer's face. "Good." Emily kissed Spencer and as their tongues met, Spencer could taste herself on her girlfriend's tongue. And she _fucking_ loved it.

Spencer loved the fact that Emily wasn't asking anything of her in return. But Spencer still felt obligated to return the favor, and she wanted to. She wanted to make Emily squirm and writhe on the bed. She wanted to be the _only_ one who could do that. The idea of Samara having seen Emily like this made Spencer's blood boil. To think of the blonde's hands all over Emily as Spencer's were now was enough to make Spencer want to throw up.

She shook the thought from her head and focused on Emily again. As they kissed, Spencer wrapped one arm around Emily's waist and, with their lips still connected, turned Emily onto her back once more. Emily knew what Spencer was preparing to do.

"Spence," Emily cupped Spencer's cheek in her hands as Spencer propped herself above Emily's naked body, "Are you sure you want to do this? If you don't want to it's okay," Emily assured her, not knowing how Spencer felt about going down on her for the first time, about going down on _anyone_ for the first time.

"I want to, Em. I _really_ want to. I'm just nervous, is all. I'm sorry if I'm not, you know…good at it or anything." Spencer tucked a strand of her own hair behind her ear and out of her flushed face.

"I'll be happy no matter what," Emily said sweetly.

Spencer moved down and positioned her head between Emily's legs. Her heart was beating out of her chest as she licked her lips in anticipation. Emily held her breath as Spencer's mouth made contact with her wet core for the first time. Emily jerked beneath her at the sudden contact, and Spencer smiled at the reaction she got from her girlfriend. Feeling more confident in her actions, Spencer focused on matching what Emily had done for her. Emily gave a low sigh, and even thought Emily wasn't one to use profanity a lot, Spencer could have _sworn_ that she heard Emily mutter something along the lines of, "Jesus _fucking_ Christ."

Something else Spencer hadn't prepared for was the taste. Emily had once described the actual taste of a woman's juices, and how it was a little salty and a little sweet at the same time, but she hadn't been able to actually grasp the concept. Emily had chosen her words carefully, and now Spencer knew why. It was a _very_ specific taste, something that didn't resemble anything Spencer had ever tasted. All she knew what that Emily tasted _good_.

Emily's back arched upward as Spencer kept her steady pace. She tried to do what Emily had done for her, alternating between licking and sucking. And judging by Emily's reaction, she was learning very fast. Spencer felt Emily's body start to tremble beneath her hands and she knew her girlfriend must be getting close. Emily couldn't even make a sound as her body stiffened as she let out a ragged cross between a moan and a scream before her body went limp on the bed. Her chest rose and fell irregularly as Spencer came up to her face and gave her a chaste kiss.

"How was I?"

"You are _so good_ at everything you do."

"I had a good teacher," Spencer joked as they clumsily pulled the sheets out of their neatly made position and over their sweaty, tired bodies. Emily laid her head on Spencer's chest and kissed her neck, cheek, and lips.

"I love you." Emily whispered, her voice raspy and soft.

Spencer kissed Emily's forehead and reached over to turn out the lamp, "I love you too, sweet Emily."

...

"Jesus, you look _ti-red_!" Hanna extended the word to two syllables as she opened the conjoining door between their rooms to greet Spencer. Spencer gave a lazy but content smile and a nod as she walked past Hanna and into the hotel room.

"Morning, Spence!" Aria called from her place on her bed, her pajamas still on and her computer in her lap.

"Where's Em?" Hanna asked curiously, hopping onto her bed as Spencer helped herself to the coffee that Aria had already made.

"Still sleeping. I didn't want to wake her up, she looked to content." Spencer brought her mug up to her lips without putting in any sugar or cream.

"Ugh, how can you just drink that plain?" Hanna scoffed.

Spencer raised her mug up and gave a sarcastic smile, "What can I say? I like my coffee black…like my soul!"

Aria snorted out a laugh without looking up from her computer screen. "I didn't know Emily liked the strong silent type," the brunette joked back, glancing up and grinning at Spencer.

"Oh yeah, she won't settle for anything nicer than a rabid pit bull!" Spencer finally laughed a little at her own joke as the other two broke into smiles as well.

"Well, judging by last night, you aren't so _silent_, Spence," Hanna said deviously. Spencer's eyes widened and she almost spat out the coffee she had just sipped into her mouth.

"Hanna, how much did you hear?" Spencer asked, her cheeks becoming a deep shade of red with embarrassment.

Hanna shrugged and smiled, "Enough."

"Hanna! Did you _really_ listen in on them?" Aria asked.

"Oh come _on_ Aria! You can't tell me you didn't hear them!"

"Hanna, really? I'm right here," Spencer spoke up.

"What? I'm really happy that you guys took that next step! It's about time, too. The sexual tension between you two is ridiculous!" Hanna defended herself. Spencer sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair.

"Gee, thanks. Now I have the _wonderful_ thought of you playing Peeping Tom during my first time. Thanks," Spencer retorted.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help it! You guys are so freaking cute!"

"Knock knock!" Emily suddenly poked her head through the conjoining door and smiled, also looking tired. Spencer grinned and watched Emily step into the room and shut the door behind her. She had pulled on her favorite pair of loose, grey sweatpants and a soft, off the shoulder polyester-cotton tee shirt, nothing underneath.

"Hey, Em!" Aria waved.

"Morning, sunshine," Hanna giggled.

Spencer set her mug down and pulled Emily in for a kiss. "We didn't wake you, right? I wanted to let you sleep in," Spencer brushed some of Emily's hair from around her face.

"No, I just woke up and couldn't find you, then I heard you guys over here," Emily shrugged, kissing Spencer again.

"Sleep well?" Hanna asked.

"Like a baby," Emily smirked to her girlfriend, who bit her lip and blushed.

"So," Spencer jumped subjects, "I texted Emma and told her to meet us down in the restaurant for brunch at ten, as we planned. It's eight fifteen now, so we should probably all start getting ready. Cause you guys have to have time to shower and everything."

Hanna furrowed her brow, "Aren't you guys gonna shower too? I mean, no offense, but we probably stink pretty bad right now."

"Oh we are," Spencer grinned, "But I just thought we could save water and share. What do you say, Em?" Spencer looked at Emily, whose smile had gotten bigger and bigger throughout the course of Spencer's sentence.

"I say we'll see you guys later!" Emily said, pulling Spencer towards the door. Spencer laughed and followed. Aria and Hanna's mouths just hung open as the duo exited without another word and locked the door behind them.

"What? No fair!" Hanna turned to Aria, "I'm so jealous of their love lives!"

"Why? You have Caleb, and I happen to know that you guys don't spend all your time talking, _Hanna_," Aria joked.

"Yeah, but they have such a sexy relationship! I want a sexy relationship!"

"I think Caleb's pretty sexy," Aria muttered nonchalantly, receiving a dirty look from Hanna, "But he's all yours! He's not my type. You know that. I love Ezra."

"Whatever. I'm going to go shower…_by myself_," Hanna hissed, grabbing her hygiene needs and heading into the bathroom.

…

"Emma! Evelyn! Over here!" Spencer waved from their half moon booth in the corner of the restaurant. The two girls walked over to the table and slid in next to Spencer on the right side.

"Hey! Great concert last night, eh?" Emma asked, grinning as she picked up a menu.

"I had a great time!" Spencer nodded, nudging Emma's arm playfully.

"Oh my _god_," Hanna blurted out, "That it _not_ the jacket I think it is!" Hanna was staring at Emma's leather jacket.

"Oh, this? It's the from the new Burberry line. Do you like it?" Emma asked the blonde with a friendly smile.

"Like it? I've been trying to find one for weeks! Where did you get it?" Hanna asked eagerly as she practically drooled over her menu.

"My dad happens to have a client who's wife is a higher-up for Calvin Klein. And they owe us," Emma shrugged with a smirk.

"It's amazing!" Hanna splurged.

"Thanks, I'm glad you like it."

Spencer smiled as she watched her two friends finally get along…_really _get along.

"I'm always telling Emma how she needs to switch to a fashion design major," Evelyn smiled at her girlfriend.

"It's just a hobby, really," Emma shrugged.

"But you could totally be a designer!" Spencer added encouragingly, "You have great style!"

"Besides, Evelyn is the _real_ artistic talent here. Her paintings always amaze me," Emma said sweetly to the blonde, who leaned into her and held her hand.

"I do what I can," Evelyn laughed a little.

Aria grinned and struck up a conversation with Evelyn about various artists and museums. Meanwhile Hanna, Emma, and Spencer began talking about fashion designers and clothes. And suddenly, Emily felt out of place. Even with Spencer's hand in her own underneath the table, Emily felt like she wasn't needed in the conversation. Emily finally gave Spencer a nudge.

"I'm just going to uh…go to the bathroom," Emily said softly as Emma, Evelyn and Spencer scooted out of the booth to let Emily get up. Emily's sudden quietness didn't go unnoticed by all, though. Hanna looked at Aria before looking up at Emily.

"I'll go with you. I have to go anyway," Hanna stood up and fell into step with Emily as she made a beeline for the restrooms.

"Emily, what's up?" Hanna asked quietly, trying to catch her friend's gaze. Emily didn't reply. She pushed open the bathroom door and strode into the powder room before sitting on the cushioned bench that was up against the wall opposite the mirror. Hanna joined her.

"Em, look at me. What's up?"

Emily looked at Hanna with worry etched into her features, and Hanna knew something was seriously bothering the tan girl.

"Spencer and Emma get along really well, huh?" Emily asked, half to herself, half to Hanna.

"I guess so, but Spencer doesn't look at Emma like she looks at you," Hanna smiled comfortingly, "Spencer loves you so, so much Em."

"But Emma…she's got connections in her family, she's rich, like Spencer is. Spencer's family would love her as a future in-law. Me…well, what have I got? Over protective parents, one of which who is never around, and a swimming scholarship to Danby. Emma is at an Ivy League…she's got it all figured out," Emily talked down on herself. Hanna sighed and cupped Emily's face in her hands.

"Emily Fields, listen to me. Spencer is not the type to date someone because her parents want her to. She dates people who she cares deeply about. And I have never seen her care more deeply for someone like she cares about you, Emily. Trust me, she's not going anywhere." Hanna pulled Emily into a hug and heard Emily let out a sniffle. Hanna pulled back and saw tears on Emily's face. "Why are you crying?"

Emily smiled, "I don't know…I just really appreciate what you said, Han. I love you," Emily hugged her friend again.

"Of course, Em. Love you too," Hanna smiled, wiping Emily's cheeks and smiling.

"Now come on. Why don't we get back out there so you can be with your girlfriend?"

…

**Finally got this updated! Man, it took forever to write this! Haha, I hope you all liked it!**


	11. Deadly

**So I promised FUNKYSHAY an update today (even though I was sick all night with food poisoning), and I'm feeling a little better, so I'm gonna go ahead and start this update! Hopefully I can get it done by tonight so FUNKYSHAY can wake up a happy camper! :) **

**As usual, I hope you enjoy the update, and tell me what you think!**

…

The girls all ordered their breakfast after Hanna's little talk with Emily and they all ate in comfortable conversation, everything seemed great until Emma shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Evelyn put her arm around her girlfriend's shoulders and tried to catch her gaze.

"Emma, are you okay?" Evelyn asked, her blue eyes dulling to a shade of grey with concern.

"I don't feel so good…" Emma muttered, shaking her head slowly.

"Let's get you to the bathroom, right now!" Spencer and Evelyn helped her up and hurried her to the bathroom.

"Maybe we should go help…" Hanna said, looking between Aria and Emily. The other girls nodded and hurried to the bathroom behind the other three. When they got into the restroom, they heard Emma gagging from one of the stalls.

"Is she going to be okay?" Aria asked Spencer, who stood with a worried look on her face as Evelyn held Emma's hair back.

"I don't know, does anyone else feel sick?" Spencer asked the girls, who all shook their heads.

Just then, all four of their phones buzzed at the same time and they immediately knew. Spencer felt her blood boil as she reached for her phone simultaneously with the others. They all checked their screens to find the same text message.

_Who wants some Ipecac on their waffles? –A_

"That bitch…" Spencer muttered, walking over to the sink and leaning forward on her hands and staring into the mirror, trying to control her anger as the other girls processed what just happened. Emily nervously bit her lip and walked up beside Spencer, who was now staring down into the sink.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. We haven't let A break us yet and we're not going to," Emily put her hand on Spencer's back and rubbed up and down. Spencer looked at her girlfriend and spoke in a low whisper so that Evelyn and Emma couldn't hear.

"Emily, this is all my fault…anyone who ever gets remotely close with me outside of us four always ends up getting hurt," Spencer scolded herself.

"Spence…this is _not _your fault. A is just trying to screw with us. And I _know_ it's cruel. But we have to be strong for the sake of everyone we know," Emily said, wrapping her arms around Spencer and stroking her hair.

"Hey guys, I think we need to call an ambulance," Evelyn poked her head out of the bathroom stall with a worried look on her face.

"I'm on it," Aria jumped to help, dialing 911 immediately.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get our things from the table," Hanna said to Spencer and Emily, who both nodded. Hanna walked back to the table and saw the little black book that had their check inside. Hanna cursed herself for forgetting about the check and picked up the booklet along with everyone's things that they'd left at the table. She carried it all back to the bathroom and stumbled inside.

"We forgot this," Hanna handed the black book to Spencer.

"Right, the check." Spencer opened it, expecting to find a bill for all of their food, but instead she found something else. A note, written in red marker, laid inside.

"Guys," Spencer said to the other three, calling them into a half circle around the sink.

_Breakfast is on me, bitches. – A_

"What the hell?" Aria asked worriedly.

"A was _here_!" Hanna said, "He…she…IT followed us up here! They're probably staying in the same hotel and everything!"

Spencer shivered at the thought. Did A know about her and Emily having sex? Did A have something they were waiting to use against them? And most of all, who was A going to hurt next?

…

"How is she?" Spencer asked anxiously as she greeted Mrs. Shepherd outside Emma's room at the local hospital.

"She's going to be fine; they're just giving her some fluids and some nutrients to get her back on her feet. She'll be out of here in no time," Laura explained, placing a comforting hand on Spencer's arm.

"I can't believe this happened…" Spencer shook her head in disbelief as she and Laura stepped into Emma's room.

"Hey," Emma smiled weakly.

"Hey, how do you feel?" Spencer asked.

"Better, but still pretty weak," Emma nodded.

"The nurse said she needs a lot of fluid in her system right now," Evelyn added in from her seat in the chair adjacent to the bed.

Spencer nodded, "As long as it helps you get better."

"Listen, Spencer, thank you for coming along. I know it's been weird between me and Emily after everything, so it means a lot that you came," Emma admitted.

"I just want to know that everything's okay," Spencer said quietly.

"Where are the others?" Evelyn asked curiously.

"Back at the hotel, packing up. We have to check out and head back to Rosewood today," Spencer explained. Emma nodded.

"And, Emily is okay with you being here? Because I don't wanna step on anyone's toes. I know she feels like I'm in the way sometimes," Emma smiled softly.

"What do you mean?" Spencer asked inquisitively.

Emma smiled knowingly, "I see the way she looks at you, Spencer. She loves you. And when I talk to you I can see her tense up, even if we're just friends. She's protective, and I don't blame her, but I just want to make sure you're not messing up with her by being here."

Spencer thought about what Emma said. It all made sense when she thought about it. Emily had said it was okay to go to the hospital and see Emma. But had she really been okay with it? Spencer wondered if Emily was holding anything back from her.

"She understands that it's okay to be there for friends sometimes. But Emily…well, let's just say it's been a while since she could really trust someone in a relationship and now that we're together, I feel like she doesn't want to lose that trust. She's okay with me being here because she trusts me, not because she's okay with it," Spencer explained logically to herself and to Emma.

"You guys seem very close," Emma nodded.

"We're closer than close. We know almost everything about each other and have been through a lot together. That's where the trust comes in. Emily has trust issues and well…she's slowly starting to let people in again. So just give her time and space and she'll warm up to you," Spencer smiled.

Just then, Spencer's phone rang and she looked at the screen. It was Emily.

"Hey, Em." Spencer held up one finger to Emma, Evelyn, and Laura as she spoke.

"_Hey. What room is Emma in?_" Emily asked.

"Room 19 on the second floor."

"_I'm coming up. Hanna and Aria and I already checked out so we came to get you,_" Emily explained.

"I'll just come to you-," Spencer began.

"_No! I'll come to you. I want to see how Emma's doing anyway,_" Emily said, covering for the fact that she mainly just wanted to be with Spencer and Emma so she could keep an eye on them.

"Okay, I'll see you in a minute." Spencer hung up and furrowed her brow.

"Is Emily here?" Emma asked.

"She's coming up for a minute before I have to get going with the other girls," Spencer explained.

"Emily is your girlfriend?" Laura asked. Spencer turned toward Mrs. Shepherd and nodded.

"Yeah," Spencer couldn't help but smile, despite the situation, "Me, her, and our two best friends have to drive back to Rosewood soon, so she wanted to say bye to Emma and Evelyn."

Emma looked towards Spencer, "Despite all this, I really did have a great time Spencer. Getting to hang out with you, Emily, Aria, and Hanna was really fun."

"I had a great time too. I'm just so sorry this had to happen," Spencer sighed and shook her head as she heard footsteps in the doorway. Spencer turned around to see Emily.

"How are you doing?" Emily asked Emma.

"I've been worse," Emma replied simply. Emily nodded before directing her attention to Spencer.

"Um, Emily, this is Emma's mom, Laura," Spencer said, motioning to the young-looking mom.

"Hi, Emily. It's nice to meet you!" Laura extended her hand and Emily shook it politely.

"Nice to meet you too."

"Mom, Emily is a champion swimmer. Didn't you swim in high school?" Emma asked.

Laura's face lit up, "I did swim! I went to state all four years, won twice. You're a champion, eh?" Laura asked, impressed. Emily blushed and shook her head in modesty.

"I do okay," Emily nodded.

"Yeah, okay enough to beat every record in the books!" Spencer added.

"Wow! You must have a lot of schools interested in you!" Laura smiled.

"A couple, yeah," Emily nodded. "But I'm just hoping I can go somewhere close to Brown," she added, smiling at Spencer.

"That shouldn't be a problem, as long as your academics are good as well," Laura assured her.

"They are!" Spencer nudged her girlfriend.

Emily switched gears and looked over at Emma and Evelyn, "Emma, thank you for inviting us to the concert. We had a great time. It was really great to get to know you. And it was nice to meet you Evelyn."

"We had fun too, I hope we can try again sometime. Hope fully some time when I won't get sick!" Emma joked.

Emily gave a dry laugh, "Yeah, another time," she looked at Spencer, "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Spencer walked over to Emma's bed and leaned down to give her a hug, "Feel better, and keep me updated! Bye, Evelyn," Spencer waved as she pulled back from Emma. Laura looked at Emily as all this happened and noticed her shift her weight and cross her arms uncomfortably. Spencer walked towards the doorway where Emily stood.

"Sorry we had to meet again like this," Spencer apologized, "What is it with us and hospitals?"

Laura laughed a little at the brunette's dry joke, "No idea. But it was nice to see you, regardless. Good luck with school. Emily, it was a pleasure," Laura said warmly.

"Thanks," Emily smiled.

"Well, I'll talk to you guys soon! Bye," Spencer waved, lacing her fingers with Emily as they departed for Rosewood.

…

On the way back, Hanna drove, Aria sat in the front, and Spencer and Emily sat in the back seat. For a while they just talked, listened to music and tried to avoid the subject of A. Mostly they just didn't want to believe that A had followed them to the hotel. Just thinking about it was enough to creep them out. They arrived back in Rosewood around 2 o' clock that afternoon. Hanna first stopped at Spencer's house.

"I'll walk you up, Spence." Emily unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car with her girlfriend. Hanna rolled her window down and called to Spencer.

"Bye Spence, we'll text you!" Hanna smiled.

"Bye!" She heard Aria call from the passenger seat.

"Bye guys," Spencer half smiled, grabbing her things and walking up the drive way with Emily by her side.

"I'll call you tonight," Emily smiled.

"Okay, I love you," Spencer said, her arms coming to wrap around Emily.

"I love you too," Emily leaned in and gave Spencer a nice, wet kiss.

They were broken apart by the loud noise of Hanna's car horn. They both shot the blonde a dirty look before looking back at each other and leaning in for one last kiss.

…

Hanna and Emily arrived back at Hanna's house and immediately went up to their room, exhausted and in need of some rest.

"My feet hurt _so_ bad!" Hanna complained as she kicked her shoes off and began changing into some comfier clothes.

"No kidding. I just want to lay down!" Emily agreed, also changing her clothes. Hanna finished changing into her sweats and hopped onto her bed as Emily looked for some pajama pants across the room in her underwear.

"You must drive Spencer _crazy_ with all that lingeree you wear, Em!" Hanna teased. Emily furrowed her brow and laughed a little.

"I don't know, I just wear what I think is cute," Emily shrugged, deciding on a pair of light blue polka dotted pants and a white tank top. She pulled them on and sat cross-legged on her bed, pulling a pillow onto her lap and leaning onto it.

"All I know is Spencer was slap happy this morning when she came into Aria's and my hotel room. Last night was really special to her," Hanna smiled, knowing Emily still felt weird about the whole Emma thing.

Emily looked at Hanna thoughtfully, "You don't think she regrets it?"

"Are you kidding? It meant the world to her! I can see it in her face," Hanna assured the swimmer.

"It meant a lot to me, too. It was one of the best nights of my life. I'm so happy that Spencer told me she was ready to have sex. It was a big thing for her, and now I feel so close with her, you know?" Emily asked.

"Yeah. When me and Caleb first had sex there was just a new bond between us, and it takes a lot to break that afterward," Hanna said.

Emily nodded and jumped a little when her phone beeped. Thinking it might be Spencer, she eagerly checked and frowned at what she saw. On her screen was a picture of her and Spencer kissing passionately at the concert. It was obviously them and underneath the photo was a message.

_How romantic! I'm sure Mommy would love to hear all about it! Tell her or I will. – A_

Emily lost the color in her face and she felt sick. She looked up at Hanna, who seemed confused.

"What is it?" The blonde got up and came over to Emily's bed. Emily silently showed her the message and picture.

"Is that enough to break it?"

…

**A is getting ruthless! I'll try to keep him/her at bay, but A is really working hard to get into my story! ;) Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback!**


	12. Angry

**Well, after a while, this story is due for an update, don't you think? So here it is! Hope it's juicy enough for you all! Again, thanks, FUNKYSHAY, who has been great in helping me get inspiration for this!**

…

"Hanna, I can't do it." Emily was sitting in the kitchen, pushing her breakfast around her plate, hardly interested in eating.

"Em, you _do_ realize that A _will_ tell your mom about you two, right? And it will _not_ be pretty," Hanna asked.

Emily looked up at Hanna, fear in her features, "Hanna, I just don't know how I could ever tell my mom over the _phone_ about me and Spencer. If I was going to tell her, I'd do it in person."

Hanna sighed, "I guess that's why A wants you to tell her, because they know it'll be harder over the phone."

"Well, I think that's a fair assessment, considering I have no clue what I'm going to say," Emily muttered, looking down at the untouched plate of food before her.

"You really should eat," Hanna reminded her friend.

"Not hungry…" Emily muttered.

"Em," Hanna caught Emily's eyes, "I know you, you don't eat when you're stressed, which usually means you get sick. I think you should try to eat a little."

Emily took a bite of her toast and looked back at the blonde. "There, happy?" She asked, still chewing.

"Just promise me, whatever you decide to do, you don't forget that Spencer, Aria, and I are always here for you…no matter what your parents say," Hanna requested.

"I can do that."

…

At school, Spencer noticed the change in her girlfriend's attitude, and at lunch she pulled Emily off to the side in the courtyard.

"Em, babe, what's wrong?" Spencer asked, her hands on Emily's waist.

Emily avoided eye contact, "Nothing, I'm just tired is all." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Are you sure? You've hardly said a word all morning…is something else bothering you?" Spencer asked, her brows raised. Emily shook her head, fighting the urge not to tell Spencer about the picture, knowing it would only make her mad.

"No," Emily said again.

"Em, whatever is bothering you, you can tell me," Spencer insisted.

Emily looked at Spencer finally, and saw that Spencer was looking at her with nothing but concern in her eyes. Emily sighed and pulled out her phone and brought up the text A had sent her.

"_This_ is what's bothering me, okay?" She handed the phone to Spencer and waited for a reaction from her girlfriend. Spencer looked up, furious, and handed Emily her phone back.

"How long do you have to tell her?"

"I don't know-," Emily was cut off by the sound of a text message. She bit her lip and looked at the screen. It made chills run up and down her spine.

_You have 12 hours, bitch. – A_

"Twelve hours. So at midnight, my mom will get this picture, whether I'm ready or not." Emily handed the phone to Spencer like it was poisoned food. Spencer read the text and looked back at Emily, who looked even more worried now. The two of them suspiciously looked around, in search of the invisible tormenter, but to no avail.

Spencer took Emily in her arms and kissed her side of her head, "It's okay, Em. We can do this."

"I hope we can."

Spencer pulled back and stared deeply into Emily's eyes, "Nothing will change the way I feel for you."

"Me either…" Emily agreed.

"Then what do we have to worry about? Your mother loves you…and even if she's mad at first, she will eventually grow to support you," Spencer assured her, although she knew it would be hard for Pam to do such thing.

"How long is eventually?" Emily asked.

"It doesn't matter. I'm not going anywhere, Em. I promise."

…

Spencer smiled as she watched Emily swim back and forth, racing the clock, taking out her stress and anger. Practice was just about over and Spencer was waiting patiently for her girlfriend. Emily finished her run and her coach told her to get her head in the game next time. Emily always swam worse when she was stressed. Emily climbed out of the water and peeled her swim cap off. Spencer walked over after the team dispersed and smiled at Emily.

"Hey," Spencer tried to sound as positive as possible.

"Hey," Emily said, sounding distant.

Spencer furrowed her brow, "Em, I know you're worried, but don't worry. It's going to be okay."

"Is it?" Emily asked, grabbing her towel and heading towards the locker room, Spencer in tow.

"Yeah. You have to be strong. If you give in to what A wants, they'll only get stronger. We have to be strong," Spencer said as Emily opened her locker.

"I have no idea how my mom will ever grow to be _okay_ with me being gay. No matter what girl I date, they're all the same to her…immoral, disgusting, and wrong," Emily spat.

Spencer pursed her lips and moved closer to her girlfriend, "Hey," she cupped Emily's face, "I love you. I want her to know that. Will you tell her for me?" Spencer asked in an almost teasing way.

Emily couldn't help but smile a little, "Yes, I'll tell her." Emily kissed Spencer tenderly, "I love you too."

…

Emily, Spencer, Aria and Hanna sat in Spencer's room with 7 hours and 12 minutes left to tell Pam about Emily and Spencer's relationship, or A would do it for them. Emily was pacing as Spencer leaned up against her desk and Hanna and Aria sat on the bed.

"Guys…how do I say it?" Emily looked up and made eye contact with each of the other girls.

"You just have to ask for her support and tell her that if she loves you she'll understand," Aria tried to make her advice sound simple, but they all knew it wasn't simple at all.

"Emily, just tell her what you and Spencer have. Explain how much it means to you," Hanna added. Spencer approached her nervous girlfriend and put an arm around her.

"Remember what I said. If she loves you, and she does, she'll grow to support you."

Emily looked down at her phone and shakily dialed her mom's number and held the phone up to her ear. It rang for a second before going to voicemail.

Emily looked at the screen and then up at the girls, "Straight to voicemail. What do I do? I'm not going to tell her over a message."

"Don't try again. We don't want her to think it's anything out of the ordinary," Aria said.

Just then, Emily got another text.

_I'm sure mommy would love to add that picture to the scrapbook! Send it to her. – A_

Emily wanted to cry. She couldn't speak as she showed the phone to Spencer.

"Great!" Spencer said sarcastically.

"What?" Hanna asked.

"Look," Spencer fumed, handing the phone to Hanna and Aria.

"Oh my god." Aria sat back and shook her head with disgust.

"What a bitch! If I ever see A's stupid, worthless face, I will teach them a little something about pain and suffering!" Hanna exclaimed in an outburst.

"What now?" Emily asked.

"A is trying to make you look shallow. Don't let them do that," Spencer tried to encourage.

"Spence, it's over. My mom is going to find out one way or another!" Emily was tearing up now, and Spencer's heart ached for her girlfriend, because in the back of her mind, she knew she was right.

…

Time left: 38 minutes.

Emily lay in her bed. It was 11:22 p.m and she was desperately trying not to fall asleep. Hanna had already crashed and now Emily was left to get the courage to try calling her mother again. She stared at her phone for a few minutes before she lost track of time. Then everything faded out and she drifted to sleep.

…

"Emily! Wake up!"

The brunette awoke to the sun in her eyes and Hanna shaking her awake the next morning. She shot awake, realizing that she had fallen asleep, and quickly searched for her phone. She found it under the covers and looked at the screen, which showed she had 13 missed calls and texts from her mom. Her gut twisted and turned.

"Did you tell her?" Hanna asked.

Without words, Emily looked up at Hanna, tears already in her big brown eyes. Hanna knew what she meant and the blonde fell silent as she climbed onto the bed with her friend and gave her a soothing hug as Emily broke down in tears. Hanna stroked her messy hair and put her chin on top of Emily's head.

"Everything will be fine. Spencer is a fighter, and so are you. It will be fine," Hanna said quietly. Emily just cried, knowing words wouldn't be enough, so silence would have to do.

After a few minutes, Emily looked up and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, Han, but I have to face my mom," Emily said dryly, picking up her phone and walking out of the room. She knew this wouldn't be pretty.

She went out to the back patio and dialed her mom's number. It rang once before she picked up.

"_Emily, what is this picture I got from an unknown number! Care to explain? And how come you haven't picked up?"_ Pam scolded immediately upon answering.

"Mom…Spencer and I are together," Emily said quickly, wanting to get it over with. "We have been for a little while. I don't know who sent you that picture, but I didn't want you to find out this way."

"_Did you want me to find out at all? I trusted you…I trusted Spencer! Now you're going to concerts out of Rosewood unsupervised and doing all this and god knows what else behind my back!" _Pam yelled. Emily cringed.

"Mom, Spencer and I care deeply for each other. And it shouldn't change how you see her," Emily replied, trying to sound strong.

"_Did you share a room on this little trip?"_ Pam's voice was like ice.

"Mom-,"

"_I'll ask you again, and I want yes or no. Did you, share a room, with Spencer?"_ Pam asked slowly and deliberately. Emily stood, frozen, and the moment seemed to last forever until she muttered her response.

"Yes." Emily couldn't lie to her mother any more.

"_I don't want you seeing her any more. I'm calling Hanna's mom and telling her not to let Spencer be alone with you any more."_ Pam's decision crushed Emily inside.

"Mom, _please_. Don't do this!" Emily begged.

"_You leave me no choice, Emily. It's this or you move to Texas with your father and I."_

"I love her! And she loves me!"

"_I'm sorry, but I think this is best. I can't sleep knowing that my daughter is out there having intercourse in the spur of the moment,"_ Pam said irrationally. Emily gasped.

"Mom! Sex has nothing to do with this, does it?"

"_I would do the same if it were with a-,"_

"_Don't_ you dare say boy, mom. Don't. Just save it. Because you can't accept that I'm gay, can you? You know, you're unbelievable!"

"_Emily, don't argue with me on this. I know what's best for you,"_ Pam sighed in frustration.

"Best for me? Or best for you?" Emily asked, not even wanting an answer. With that, she hung up and stormed back inside. She had to keep it together.

She had to.

…

**Okay, so originally I was going to put a lot more in this update, but there is a LOT of material that is coming, so I figured it would be easier with multiple, smaller chapters. So tell me what you thought and I'll try to update soon again!**


	13. Certainly

**I know I haven't update and I would like to start off by saying sorry! Enjoy the update and thanks for all the wonderful feedback!**

…

That night, Emily pulled up in front of Spencer's house, her teeth clamped firmly down on her bottom lip, chewing it nervously as she walked to the door. She gave a light knock and waited, tapping her foot impatiently. She was greeted by Mrs. Hastings.

"Emily, are you okay?" Veronica noticed Emily's nervous state and furrowed her brow.

"Is Spencer here? I need to talk to her," Emily asked.

"Sure, she's in her room, go on up," Veronica nodded, opening the door all the way for her to enter. Emily thanked her and continued up towards her girlfriend's bedroom. She paused before knocking on the door, anxious as to how Spencer would handle everything. She knocked twice and listened for a reply.

"Come in!" Spencer called. Emily turned the door knob and swung the door open. Spencer was sitting at her desk and she grinned when she saw Emily. But all smiles were lost when Emily's eyes brimmed with tears, the mere sight of Spencer making her heart ache, knowing how Pam felt about the two of them together.

"Emily…What's wrong babe?" Spencer stood up and moved swiftly to her girlfriend, taking her in her arms and hugging her so tightly that Emily could feel her bones creak. Emily pulled back, she was crying now, and shook her head as she tried to put a sentence together through her sobs. "What happened?"

"I…my mom…" Emily said, not even able to say the whole phrase. Spencer cupped the tan girl's face and wiped her tears away.

"Talk to me, Em. Did you tell your mom?" Spencer asked, guiding Emily over to the edge of the bed and sitting down next to her.

Emily shook her head and took a deep breath, "No…A did. A sent my mom the picture of us at the concert. I fell asleep last night by accident. And when I woke up I had tons of missed calls and texts from my mom. She was furious," Emily said, wiping her eyes.

"What did she say?"

"She told me that she didn't want us to be together. And that she was going to call Hanna's mom and your parents and tell them not to let us see each other," Emily explained, getting choked up again.

Spencer fumed, "Emily, look at me," Spencer placed two fingers under Emily's chin and lifted it up, "You and me are strong enough to make it through this. I'm not going anywhere."

Emily wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and nuzzled her neck. "What are we gonna do?"

"We'll see each other at school every day, and for now, that'll have to do," Spencer said quietly, looking down at her crying girlfriend. She leaned down and pressed a comforting kiss to Emily's forehead. For a while they just sat in silence, holding each other, pretending time had stopped just for them.

Suddenly, Emily's phone rang and she looked at the screen. "It's Hanna," Emily said, answering, "Hello?"

"_Hey, Em, where are you?"_ Hanna asked.

Emily glanced at Spencer, "I'm with Spence…why?"

"_My mom said you have to come home…she just had a talk with your mom…_" Hanna said regrettably.

"Really?" Emily complained, "I guess I have no choice…I'll see you soon, then," Emily sighed.

"_Yeah,"_ Hanna replied before they both hung up. Then Emily looked at Spencer.

"I have to go home. My mom got Hanna's mom on her side and she's keeping me from you," Emily said sadly, standing up with Spencer.

"Okay…I'll walk you out," Spencer said quietly, trying to hold in her anger. The two of them walked down to the front door. They stopped, not wanting to be pulled apart. Emily bit her lip, trying to avoid more tears as Spencer gazed at her.

"Bye, Spence," Emily said meekly.

Spencer pulled Emily into a warm embrace, "I love you, Em, don't forget that. I love you and only you and I'm willing to fight for us if you are. We can do this," Spencer assured her.

Emily nuzzled Spencer's neck and nodded, "I love you, too."

They pulled back and leaned in for a lingering kiss. "Night," Spencer said as Emily opened the door.

"Night," Emily waved, giving one last half smile to her girlfriend before she disappeared. Spencer closed the door and leaned up against it, her eyes closed in frustration.

"You're sure are pretty crazy about her," a voice came from the kitchen. The voice of none other than Melissa.

Spencer opened her eyes slowly, "I am…but her mom…she can't stand the idea of us together. And she is trying to separate us." Spencer walked towards the couch and slumped onto it.

Melissa crossed the room to where Spencer sat and joined her. Spencer's face was in her hands and Melissa could tell she was crying.

"Spence," Melissa put her hand on her sister's back, willing Spencer too look up, "I know you, and I know how strong you are. I think you can make it through this. If you love Emily half as much as I saw just now, you'll be fine. Pam just needs time to see how much you guys need eachother."

Spencer wiped her eyes, "Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? I thought you hated me," Spencer asked almost sarcastically.

Melissa smiled a little, "Because, nobody makes my sister miserable except for me," the young woman joked. Spencer couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey!"

"I'm just saying that even though we fight and we have problems of our own, I hate to see you heartbroken. And as much as it pains me to say this…I want you to be happy," Melissa teased. Spencer smiled and hugged her older sister.

"Thank you." Their moment was interrupted by Spencer's phone. Annoyed, Spencer picked up, "Hello?"

"_Spencer! It's Evelyn."_ She sounded worried on the other end. Spencer sat up straight at the sound of her frantic voice.

"Evelyn? What's wrong?" Spencer asked.

"_It's Emma, she's in the hospital again," _Evelyn explained.

"What? Why?" Spencer asked.

"_We haven't heard yet…we're all waiting here to find out. Emma just collapsed at dinner tonight…I just wanted you to know."_

"I'm coming up there. I'll be there later."

"_You don't have to, Spence. That's a five hour drive," _Evelyn said.

"I want to. Tell Emma I'll be there as soon as I can."

Evelyn sighed on the other end of the line, _"Okay. Drive safe."_

"Thanks, I will. Bye." Spencer hung up and looked at her sister, "Can today get any worse?"

Melissa felt bad for her sister, "What happened?"

"Emma's in the hospital, _again_. But they don't know what's wrong yet. I'm going up there," Spencer said assertively.

"I'll take you. C'mon, you're not going up there alone."

"Melissa, really, you don't have to do this for me-,"

"No, I want to. Now come on. We've got a bit of a drive." Melissa stood up and held out her hand to Spencer.

Spencer sighed and decided there was no arguing, so with that she nodded and took her sister's hand.

…

Emily sat in the Marin's kitchen, pushing her food around her plate, not wanting anything at the moment except to be in Spencer's arms. Ashley saw how upset Emily was and reached over to touch her hand.

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry I can't let you see Spencer. But I made a promise to your mother and if she wants you two apart then I have to honor that. If it were up to me you would be with her right now," the beautiful mother explained. Emily tried to hide the new tears that were forming.

"I know," Emily nodded, looking down at her plate. She felt Hanna's comforting hand on her knee under the table and she gave her friend a half smile.

"And I'm sure over time, your mother will warm up to Spencer and your relationship with her. But she's just shocked right now, and she feels hurt. Just give her time to breathe and process what's going on. After all, you _are_ her one and _only_ daughter…she loves you with all her heart, and eventually she'll grow to support you," Ashley said logically, glancing at Hanna as she spoke. Hanna smiled and nodded, grateful that her mother was being so caring towards Emily.

"Thanks. But what is so bad about me and Spencer that she sees and I don't?" Emily asked almost to herself.

"Em, she is just trying to protect you and grasp the fact that you're serious about Spencer," Hanna shrugged.

"I guess so," Emily nodded.

Ashley sat up straighter all of a sudden, a smile on her face, "Emily, I think your mom's words were that she didn't want you _alone_ with Spencer, right?" Ashley asked.

"Yeah…why?"

"Well, why don't you invite her and Aria over for a girls night, that way I would be here to 'supervise' and you could still be with Spencer."

"Really? You would let us do that?" Emily asked.

"Sure," Ashley said, feeling sympathetic for the young woman.

"Wow, thank you!"

"Thanks, mom," Hanna added.

"Of course, girls. Now, I think some ice cream is in order, yeah? I think it's safe to say that we could all use a little dessert binge tonight," Ashley grinned and the girls giggled as she got up from the table.

Emily looked over at Hanna and smiled, "Thanks Hanna, you guys are amazing."

"Of course Em, you're like part of our family now. We love you!" Hanna hugged her best friend and they stayed that way for a while.

"I'm so lucky to have you as a friend, Han," Emily said as they separated.

Hanna shook her head as she stood with Emily to take their plates over to the sink, "I'm the lucky one. I've never known someone as brave as you, Em."

"Me? _Brave_? Yeah right!" Emily shook her head and laughed as if Hanna was joking. They walked out and sat on the patio on the swing.

"Seriously, I would have never had the courage to do some of the things you did if I was you. You came out, you told Dr. Sullivan about A when the rest of us couldn't-,"

"That wasn't brave!"

"Yes it was! It was about time we stepped up to A!"

"But look at what that caused, everything went to hell…"

"But look at where we are now. We're _all_ stronger because of what _you_ did."

Emily sighed, "I guess you're right."

"Of course I am!" Hanna joked.

"Girls," Ashley stepped out onto the patio, "Ice cream!"

"Let's get chocolate wasted!" Hanna joked, pulling Emily to her feet.

Emily giggled, "Right behind you, Han!"

…

In the car, Spencer drummed her knee up and down anxiously as they drove along in silence. Melissa looked over and saw how worried her sister was and reached over to touch her hand. Spencer, who was taken back with surprise, darted her head over to her sibling and felt a smile cover her face.

"Thank you, Melissa. This means a lot that you're doing this for me," Spencer smiled.

"That's what sisters do for each other," Melissa nodded, turning the radio on for some light background noise. Spencer nodded and looked back out the window. There was a moment of silence before Melissa struck up conversation again. "So…you and Emily are pretty serious?"

Spencer looked back over at her sister and nodded, "I can't picture _not_ being with her anymore. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Mom said you guys went up to the Blink 182 concert recently, right? How'd that go?" Melissa asked curiously.

"It was amazing…well until Emma got sick of course. But the night of the concert was one of the best nights of my life," Spencer grinned thinking about her and Emily's romantic evening.

"Oh, did you two hook up?" Melissa asked teasingly. Spencer blushed a deep scarlet.

"Yeah…for the first time," Spencer nodded, still smiling.

"Was she any good…you know…" Melissa trailed off.

"In bed? She's amazing. I can't even really describe it. There's just something about the way her touch feels compared to other people I've been with. She's just…gentle, you know?" Spencer asked, seeming to go off into her own little world.

Melissa grinned, "That's adorable that you think so highly of her. I do have a question, though. How many times have you had sex with her?"

"Two times, to be exact. But let me just say, it felt so natural, like we had been having sex for years. We sort of just knew what drives each other wild. There weren't a lot of awkward moments or confusion, we just sort of…gelled. Does that make sense?" Spencer explained.

"That's good. I'm glad you feel comfortable with her, that's important."

"Yes, it certainly is."

"And don't take this the wrong way…but Emily is totally hot, you're lucky."

"Yes, I certainly am."

…

**Thanks for the feedback!**


	14. Athority

**So, it's been a while since I've last updated and I apologize! I hope you all enjoy this update!**

…

"Hey, glad you made it," Evelyn smiled as Melissa and Spencer walked into the hospital.

"Of course. Any news?" Spencer asked, her arms crossed nervously.

"Well the doctor said that she's got a stomach ulcer…" Evelyn trailed off, trying to remember the rest of the details. Spencer thought back to when A had caused Emily's stomach ulcer and the pain it had caused.

"Well, I'm just happy she's doing okay," Spencer paused, "Um, Evelyn, this is my older sister, Melissa," she turned to her sister, "Melissa, this is Evelyn, Emma's girlfriend."

"Hi, I'm sorry about Emma." Melissa offered her hand for Evelyn to shake.

"Thanks. I appreciate you coming up here," Evelyn looked between the two of them, "both of you. I know it was a long drive."

"Well, can we go see her?" Spencer asked hopefully.

"Yeah. She was asleep last time I was in there, maybe she's awake now."

The blonde led Spencer and Melissa to the elevators and up to the second floor. There, they went down a long hallway before making a right into one of the wings where patients were kept. Evelyn said hi to one of the nurses before leading the two sisters into a room with the number 203 on the plaque outside the door.

"Emma, look who's here," Evelyn smiled, seeing that Emma was awake and watching 'What Not to Wear.'

Emma's face lit up and she smiled as Spencer approached her friend's bed and sat in the chair next to it. "Spencer…you didn't have to come out here for me."

"I wanted to. As soon as Evelyn told us I knew I had to come. How are you feeling?" Spencer asked.

Emma shrugged, "I've been better," she joked. Then she furrowed her brow and looked past Spencer towards the door. "Where's Emily? Isn't she here?"

Spencer shook her head, "No um, her mom isn't exactly my biggest fan right now and so she thought it best for me and Emily not to see each other…" Spencer began.

Emma smirked knowingly, "But I bet that didn't stop you."

Spencer chuckled, "Well, not entirely. But I'm going to prove to Mrs. Fields that I _am_ right for Emily. I just haven't figured out how yet."

"I get it. So you're giving it space and time before you try anything, right?" Emma correctly assumed.

"Yeah…" Spencer nodded, "Oh, Emma, this is my sister, Melissa. She insisted on driving me up here…you know, after the car crash and all, she thought it'd be safer."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Emma smiled at the other Hastings girl.

"You too, sorry we had to meet like this," Melissa half-joked, but she was interrupted by the sound of someone entering the room. They all turned to see Mrs. Shepherd in the doorway, two coffees in hand.

"Spencer! I wasn't expecting you here! Thank you for coming," Laura stepped over to hug the slender girl.

"Of course. It's no problem."

Laura pulled back and handed Evelyn her coffee. "We need to stop meeting like this!"

Spencer gave a dry laugh, "You're telling me!"

"And who might this be?" Laura asked sweetly towards Melissa.

"I'm Spencer's older sister Melissa," Melissa offered a hand to shake _again_.

"Laura Shepherd. Pleasure," The middle-aged woman smiled.

"You too," Melissa replied politely.

"Spencer, where is Emily? Aren't you two still together?" Laura asked curiously.

"Barely. It's a long story…let's just say her mom isn't exactly the liberal type, if you know what I mean," Spencer rolled her eyes at the thought.

"She's a tough nut to crack," Melissa added.

Laura nodded, "I see. Well, things will get better sweetie. I'm sure her mother will come around eventually…we _all_ do." Laura smiled and looked over at Emma, who smiled back, "It's just something mom's do."

"Thanks, Mrs. Shepherd."

"How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Laura!"

Spencer wondered how the blonde woman always seemed so cheerful, even in spite of her daughter being hospitalized.

"Sorry," Spencer chuckled, "I'll remember that!" Just then, the familiar ringtone _Dreams on Fire_ from Slumdog Millionaire, which she had set just for Emily, rang out in the quiet hospital room. "Sorry, I have to take this," Spencer apologized and stepped out of the room before answering, "Hey, babe."

"_Where are you?_" Emily asked, annoyed.

Spencer mentally kicked herself for neglecting to tell her girlfriend where she went, "Oh my god, I'm so sorry I forgot to call you, Em. I'm up with Emma, she's in the hospital…again."

"_What is it this time?_" Emily sounded _really_ agitated.

Spencer glanced around and whispered, "Whatever A put in Emma's food in Philly gave her a stomach ulcer…just like the one you had."

"_Why would A hospitalize Emma? She lives five hours from Rosewood and from you._"

"Probably just fucking with me," Spencer muttered with disgust, "Anyway, I think Melissa and I are going to stay the night and come back tomorrow night. It's late."

"_Melissa's with you?_" Emily asked.

"Yeah, she insisted on coming up here with me. She feels bad about everything that's been going on lately, I guess," Spencer shrugged.

"_Yeah, okay._" Emily sounded distant and Spencer could hear the jealousy in her girlfriend's tone.

"I love you, Em," Spencer said, trying her best to sound sweet.

"…_I love you too._"

"There she is!" Spencer smirked to herself, knowing Emily couldn't resist affection very easily.

"_Shut up. I'm mad at you,_" Emily said in a pouty tone. Spencer could almost see the face pout on Emily's face.

"Okay. I still love you, though."

"_Goodnight, Spencer. I'll call you tomorrow._"

"Night."

Spencer put her phone away and returned to the hospital room.

"Was that Emily?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, she wanted to know where I was...I had forgotten to tell her," Spencer lied. She hadn't forgotten to tell Emily, and now she felt guilty. She just didn't want Emily thinking anything was going on. Now that was starting to look like a bad idea.

"I see. How is she?" Emma wondered innocently.

"Her and I have both been better," Spencer sighed.

"Did you two have a fight?" Laura chimed in.

Spencer shook her head, "No, but she's not very thrilled that I'm here, either. We're both dealing with a lot right now, so it's a lot of stress on us."

"I'm sorry," Emma apologized.

"It's okay...like you guys said, it'll get better."

...

"I don't know why she wouldn't tell me that she was leaving…again!" Emily vented to Hanna and Aria as they sat in the park the next day.

"What was her explanation?" Aria asked.

"She said she forgot, but I don't know whether to believe her or not."

"Well, if it helps, I don't think Spencer would be one to lie to you like that," Aria shrugged, not really knowing what else to say.

"Have you talked to her today?" Hanna asked, taking a lick of her strawberry ice cream.

"If you can call it that. I called her around ten and we were only on the phone for a minute or so before she left for the hospital." Emily bit her lip in nervousness.

"Why is Emma in the hospital again?" Hanna asked.

Emily scowled, "She has a stomach ulcer…like I had. It's from the food she had in Philly."

Aria's eyes widened, "So this is A's fault? Why would A hurt Emma?"

Emily made a sudden realization and felt her gut sink, "To pull her away from me."

Hanna and Aria both looked at Emily with sympathy.

"Spencer isn't going anywhere, Em. She loves you…" Aria tried to reassure the tan girl.

"Then why did she go all the way to Philly for _her_?" Emily asked coldly.

"Because she's a good person. You know that better than anyone. Spencer gets protective of her friends," Aria said rationally.

"I think you need to show Spencer why she loves you in the first place," Hanna added nonchalantly.

Emily furrowed her brow, "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_, you need to take control and let her know that you mean business," the blonde explained.

"So like what, talk to her when she gets back tonight?" Emily asked. "Cause you know, my mom isn't exactly fond of me seeing her at _all_ right now."

"Me and Aria will help you sneak over there, won't we, Aria?"

Aria raised her eyebrows, "Yeah, totally," the tiny brunette nodded.

"We'll say we're staying over at Aria's for the night, which we will be. Then when we're over there, we'll go out to Spencer's when she's due back. There we'll leave you to tell her how you feel." Hanna spoke as if she was an evil mastermind, drumming her fingers together in front of her face, the typical look of mischief on her face.

"I don't know…" Emily said unsurely.

"Oh come _on_! My mom even said it's okay for you to see all of us _together_, just as long as you and Spencer don't hang out alone," Hanna tried to convince her tan friend.

"But you guys aren't going to be with me and Spence when I go to talk to her," Emily protested.

"Technically, no. But in a sense, yes. We'll hang out in Spencer's living room and you two can go upstairs."

"You scare me, sometimes," Aria admitted to Hanna, who squealed excitedly and took another lick of ice cream.

"Are you in or what, Em?" Hanna asked, ignoring Aria's comment.

Emily sighed and looked between her two friends, "Fine. I'm in."

Hanna pumped her fist triumphantly, "Yes! It's about time that _you_ put the pants on in the relationship!"

…

It was around five o' clock when Spencer and Melissa decided to bid Emma, Evelyn, and Laura goodbye.

"I'll try and make it back sometime soon to see how you're doing, okay?" Spencer said to her friend from the hospital room door.

"Sure, no hurry, though," Emma smiled weakly.

"Thanks for the support," Evelyn smiled, hugging both Spencer and Melissa.

"Sure," Melissa said softly.

"Hopefully next time I see you it will be out of a hospital!" Laura joked, hugging each of the two sisters.

"Yeah! We'll plan something sometime!" Spencer nodded.

"Okay, well, have a safe trip, girls!"

"We will!" Melissa waved, "Feel better, Emma."

"Yeah, feel better soon," Spencer agreed as they stepped out of the door.

"Bye!" Emma waved after them.

Spencer waved back and turned back around as she continued to walk with Melissa until the two disappeared from Emma's line of sight.

…

"What time did Spencer leave again?" A bored Aria asked as the three girls sat in various locations in Aria's room.

Emily looked at her phone, "Five. She should be getting back in about thirty minutes."

"What are you going to say?" Hanna asked.

"I don't know. But I'll know when it happens. I don't wanna over think it and make her mad. I'm just going to say what's on my mind," Emily shrugged.

"I like that plan," Aria nodded from her spot on her bed, a pillow in her lap.

"But what if you space out and don't say anything?" Hanna asked, receiving looks from both of her friends. "What? It could happen."

"She's _not_ going to space out and say nothing," Aria turned her attention over to Emily, "You're _not_ going to space out. You'll be fine."

"Thanks," Emily smiled softly.

For a while, the three girls listened to music, trying to pass time until they left for Spencer's. Finally at 9:50 they slipped out of the Montgomery house and left for Spencer's house in Hanna's car.

They pulled up and saw that Melissa's car was in the driveway next to Spencer's. They were back.

"Ready?" Aria asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Emily nodded.

"Let's do this!" Hanna said, hopping out of her car with the other two.

They approached the door and waited as Emily gave two soft knocks. Her heart raced as she waited for her girlfriend to open the door. After ages, the large door swung open and Spencer stepped back in surprise.

"Emily, guys, what are you doing here?" Spencer asked.

Emily took a breath, "We need to talk."

Fear struck Spencer's face and Emily immediately regretted her word choice, "Oh, it's not that! Don't worry babe!" Emily grabbed Spencer's pale hands. Spencer breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay…come on in."

"Where's Melissa?" Hanna asked as they walked into Spencer's living room.

"Out in the barn," Spencer answered. "So, Emily, what did you want to talk about?"

"Can we go upstairs?" Emily asked softly. Spencer looked from her girlfriend, to Aria and Hanna, and back to Emily. "Okay." Spencer seemed confused, but followed Emily regardless.

"We'll just hang out down here if you need us!" Hanna called after them.

"This should be interesting," Aria added inquisitively.

"Right you are!"

Upstairs, Emily and Spencer walked into Spencer's room and shut the door behind them. Spencer walked towards the middle of the room and turned back around to face Emily.

"So what did you-," Spencer was cut off by Emily's lips on hers in a fierce and commanding kiss. Emily held Spencer's head and pressed her body to Spencer's own, skinnier one. Emily brushed her tongue against Spencer's with dominance and Spencer grinned into Emily's lips.

Reluctantly, Spencer pulled back for a moment and looked at Emily, surprised. "Woah, Em! Not that I'm complaining, but where did that come from?" Spencer grinned, her arms around Emily. "I thought you were mad at me."

"I just want you to know that I love you, and I love that you care so much about your friends. But next time you leave, take me with you. I want everyone to know that I'm yours, and you're mine…and _no one_ else's," Emily said with authority.

"Is this about me being close with Emma?" Spencer asked knowingly.

"Maybe, a little…" Emily shrugged, her arms now draped over Spencer's shoulders. Spencer chuckled a little.

"Okay," she laughed.

"What are you laughing about?" Emily asked incredulously.

"I never knew seeing you take charge would turn me on so much," Spencer whispered.

"I'm just showing you one of the reasons we're made for each other," Emily smirked as her and Spencer's faces brushed together.

"Well, how about showing me some more?"

"My pleasure."

…

**I feel like all the other stories I've been following that regard Spemily/Shayley have been leaving me high and dry (except for Fender18's Secret Truths!) lately, so now it's MY turn for some teasing! MWAHAHAHHA! - Evil laugh.**

**Thanks for the feedback, and sorry it took so long!**


	15. Blurry

**Wow! It's definitely been awhile for this story and for that I apologize! Fall/Winter is always my busiest time so it becomes SO hard to update. But I have my Saturday in with my girlfriend and we're just chilling out, so I thought I'd update for you guys! :) Again, I'm deeply sorry for leaving you guys in the dark for so long! I'll make this update a good one (or at least I'll try)!**

…

Spencer and Emily walked back downstairs after about half an hour to find Hanna and Aria chatting away, most likely about the two of them. Spencer walked into the living room first with Emily behind her, their hands linked together and goofy grins on their face. Both Aria and Hanna gave them sideways glances.

"Hey you two…" Aria began, looking from Spencer to Emily.

"How'd the 'chat' go?" Hanna teased.

Spencer looked at Emily with a grin and back to Hanna, "Amazing."

"Oh, so you did _that_ sort of talking!" Hanna giggled. Spencer and Emily both blushed and tried not to smile. Aria's jaw dropped.

"Holy shit, you guys had sex while we were down here? What is wrong with you?" Aria asked in mock anger and surprise. The other three laughed.

"Sorry, we just needed it," Emily apologized, "Besides, Hanna, you're the one who gave me the idea."

Hanna raised her hands up in defense, "But I did _not_ say to do it with us in the house!"

"Just saying!" Emily shrugged.

"_Anyway_," Aria cut in, "I'm glad you two are good now."

Spencer nodded, looking at Emily yet again, "Me too."

"We should celebrate!" Hanna said deviously.

"By doing what?" Aria asked curiously.

"Well, by my standards, the night is still young, and Noel is throwing a party at his place. His parents are on business. I say we go," Hanna suggested.

The other three looked at each other for a response as they all considered the idea.

"Han, there's gonna be alcohol there…lot's of it…" Spencer said cautiously.

"Yeah, so?"

"_So_, we all know what we can be like drunk," Spencer informed. Aria and Emily nodded.

"Oh, come _on_!" Hanna said, "We'll just look out for each other! We don't have to drink a lot…just a little. So are you guys in?" She asked.

Aria thought for a moment, "I'm in."

"Em?" Hanna asked hopefully.

"I could use some fun," Emily agreed.

"Spence?" Hanna looked at her hopefully.

"I don't know-,"

"Oh come on! Please! _Please_!" Hanna begged.

"All right. I'll drive."

"Yes!" Hanna cheered as she started heading for the door.

Spencer called after her, "But we're not drinking very much!"

…

"Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!" Some guys chanted as Emily took her sixth tall shot of Raspberry Vodka next to Hanna, who was on her third. She downed it quickly and slammed the glass back on the counter when she finished. She felt her mind wander for Spencer as she felt Hanna's hand in her own. Hanna, who handled her liquor much better, wasn't even close to drunk yet. But Emily was there.

"Where's—where's Spencer?" Emily asked, stopping in mid step as she and Hanna moved through the crowded living room. Hanna stopped, too, and faced her intoxicated friend.

"Em, we'll find her, come on," Hanna extended her hand for Emily to take.

Emily sloppily shook her head and remained in place, "No, I'll find her." Emily waved Hanna off as she started back towards the kitchen.

"Coconut Rum?" A guy named Joel offered Emily in a smaller shot.

"Oh yeah!" Emily took the glass and before Hanna could stop her, she had downed it in a gulp and handed the glass back to Joel.

"All right!" He hollered before moving on.

Hanna grabbed Emily's arm and dragged her through the living room and out onto the patio where more people resided.

"Hanna…let go," Emily mumbled.

"Nope."

"Hanna! I can find her!" Emily insisted, trying to pull away, but Hanna wouldn't have it.

"You're staying with me!" Hanna said stubbornly, moving Emily along. She finally spotted Aria and Spencer in the garden, standing by the pond, laughing about something.

"Spence!" Hanna gave her a look for help and Spencer's eyes widened.

"Hey babe!" Emily waved stupidly.

"Em, how much have you had? Jesus," Spencer muttered, smelling the liquor immediately as Emily drew close.

"Just…some Vodka…and rum," Emily shrugged.

"How many shots, Em?" Spencer asked sternly, cupping Emily's face in her hands. When Emily's response was laughter, Spencer turned to Hanna, "How many?" she repeated.

"Probably around seven or eight tall shots," Hanna guessed.

"Fuck," Spencer shook her head and set her beer down.

"Em, I thought you said you could handle this," Aria said lightheartedly.

"Are you kidding? I'm great!" Emily threw her arms up and almost tripped, but was saved by Spencer's hands on her waist.

"You are definitely done drinking for a little bit!" Hanna chuckled, her buzz kicking in.

"How about you Han?" Aria asked.

"Three."

Aria nodded and turned back to Emily, who was trying to dance with Spencer.

"Spencer, you should come upstairs with me. We need to continue our earlier activities!" Emily said, wrapping her arms around Spencer's thin waist.

"No way, not like this we're not. You need to sober up a little bit!" Spencer shook her head, "Come on, let's go find you something non-alcoholic.

"I don't wanna!" Emily said.

"Not a choice," Spencer said assertively, ushering Emily back towards the house. They managed to make it inside the kitchen where a bowl of punch sat. Without thinking, Spencer poured Emily a glass, which she downed quickly.

"Mmm, that was good! What was that?" Emily asked with delight. Spencer's eyes widened.

"_Damnit_," Spencer muttered. She took the glass from Emily's hand and smelled it. She smelled punch and...Birthday Cake Vodka? "God _fucking_ damnit!" Spencer cursed.

"Spence! Watch your language young lady!" Emily pointed a clumsy finger at her girlfriend. Spencer couldn't help but laugh a little.

"You need water…bad," Spencer answered, pushing Emily's hand down.

"No I don't!" Emily sang.

"You look like you're having a good time, Emily. It's been a while," came a voice from behind them. They turned to see Ben standing, drink in hand, and a smirk on his face. Spencer felt a wave of hate wash over her.

"What do you want, Ben?" Spencer asked icily.

"I just want to talk to Em, that's all," the athlete shrugged.

"Only people I like get to call me Em!" Emily chimed in.

"Come on, I only wanna talk!" He insisted.

"Well she doesn't wanna talk to you," Spencer said defensively.

"How do you know?"

"Because I know what you did to her, and trust me, she _doesn't _wanna talk to you," Spencer spat.

"She told you? That little bitch!" Ben moved aggressively towards the tan girl, who was behind Spencer, but in one swift motion, Spencer brought her knee up hard and hit Ben right in the groin. He clutched his genitals and fell to the floor in agony.

"You don't get to touch her, ever!" Spencer said with power, "Come on, Em. Let's go." They stepped over Ben and out of the kitchen and out onto the front porch.

"Emily I-," Spencer began, but was cut off by Emily's warm embrace.

"Thank you."

"For what, babe?" Spencer asked, accepting Emily's hug and stroking her hair.

"For protecting me…" Emily said softly. Spencer pulled back and looked at Emily, again cupping her face in her hands.

"I will _always_ protect you Em. No one touches you without my consent first," Spencer teased, kissing Emily's forehead.

"I-I love you, and I'm sorry for being so…you know…dru-drunk," Emily slurred.

"It's okay, I love you too. At least one of us had a blast tonight. Now what do you say we find the others and head home?" Spencer suggested.

"Okay…"

…

Spencer pulled up to her house and helped Emily inside, Hanna and Aria in tow. They got inside and paused in the kitchen.

"Does Pam think Emily is staying at your house, Aria?" Spencer asked, her slim arm still firmly around Emily's waist.

"Yeah, want me to cover for her?" Aria asked knowingly.

Spencer nodded, "Yeah, Emily needs to stay here tonight."

"Gotcha," Aria nodded, checking the time, "Well, Hanna, we better go. It's almost two-thirty." Aria fished for her keys and pulled them out of her bag.

"Okay, bye, Em! Bye Spene," Hanna waved.

"Bye guys," Spencer said.

"Night Han…night Aria," Emily mumbled with a lazy smile.

"Bye," Aria said as she and Hanna took their leave.

As soon as they were gone, Spencer helped Emily to the stairs, "Come on sweetheart, let's get you to bed."

They went up the stairs and into Spencer's room, where she helped Emily onto the bed. Spencer removed her shirt and skirt and went through her closet to find some pajamas to wear. She settled on some pj pants and a tank top. She also had a set for Emily.

"Get these on, babe." Spencer handed Emily the clothes as she grabbed the bottle of water off her desk and a couple aspirins from her purse. She watched with mild amusement as Emily changed, then she offered her the water and aspirin. "Take these." Emily obliged and laid back on the bed, inviting Spencer to join her.

Spencer turned her lights off and moved around to the other side of the bed to climb under the covers next to Emily. Emily snuggled over and rested her head in the crook of Spencer's neck.

"I'm sorry, Spence…" Emily whispered.

"Don't be sorry, Em. Get some sleep, I love you." Spencer kissed Emily's forehead and stroked her silky hair.

"I love you too."

…

The next morning, Emily awoke to the sun in her face. She squinted and sat up, noticing that Spencer was not with her anymore. She looked around and searched for her phone. She saw her purse on the floor and she slowly climbed out of bed to retrieve it. Her head throbbed as she moved, she felt wobbly, and she felt sensitive to the light. She grabbed her phone from her bag and checked it.

No messages.

She breathed a sigh of relief before heading for the door. She made her way downstairs and smelled something good. She ran a hand through her hair and stepped into the living room. From there she saw Spencer working away on breakfast.

"Hey! You're up!" Spencer smiled softly, putting a chocolate chipped pancake on the skillet.

"Barely," Emily muttered sarcastically. Spencer laughed and walked around the counter to meet her girlfriend for a kiss.

"Here," Spencer grabbed a glass of orange juice and handed it to her, "drink this, you'll feel better."

"Thanks." Emily took a big swig and looked at all the food that was being prepared. "This looks amazing."

"I thought you'd appreciate a big breakfast after your night!" Spencer joked, going back to the stove and checking the pancake. Emily walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around Spencer's waist, resting her head on Spencer's back.

"Not that I don't mind the privacy, but where are your parents?" Emily asked.

"Philly. They get back tomorrow."

Emily just nodded and kissed Spencer's shoulder, "More time for us. I was thinking we should take a shower after we eat," she suggested in a low tone.

Spencer turned around, "I love that idea!" Spencer leaned in to kiss Emily, but they were interrupted by Emily's phone going off.

Spencer groaned as Emily looked at it, the brunette's eyes widened.

"What is it?" Spencer asked. Emily showed Spencer the message without speaking.

_I hope you enjoyed the punch, bitch. – A_

Under the message was a photo of Emily drinking at Noel's.

Emily looked at Spencer with fear, "A was there."

…

**Sorry it wasn't as long as I planned! But I hope you all can forgive me! Thanks for the feedback!**


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